And The Struggle Continues
by Mako1
Summary: The follow up to 'It's Like Having Been Born Again' begins here. No I couldn't leave that one alone ^^
1. Default Chapter

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes: Here we go!  The sequel to 'It's like having been born again."   I have taken my time to think this one up.  Its been nagging at me for a while too.  The prequel is still writing itself in me noggin and may take some time before it's ever typed, but I am working on it.  

Disclaimers: I don't own anything GI Joe…some other lucky sod does.  I do however claim ownership to any original characters appearing in this fiction, namely Imani, Wyatt, and Chaz…just to name a few. 

And The Struggle Continues.

Pain. Agonizing, excruciating pain.  How the hell anyone survived this was beyond her, she thought as she let go of the breath she'd been holding.  At least this round of suffering had finally passed.  Three hours she had been going through this and for what?  Well he was cute, she admitted to herself, as she felt the next contraction come to bare.  Someone said something about 'one more push, come on you can do it'.  

Leila snorted at the idea and wondered if whoever had said it, would be so enthusiastic if they were going through what she was at the moment.  Feeling really displeased with her current situation, Leila frowned and did what she had been told.  A pop and all of a sudden it was over.  Doc was holding a wailing red infant in his hands and congratulating her for all of her hard work.  Cracking an eye open, she looked first at Doc and the precious gift he was dealing with, then to her hand that was attached to someone else's.  Fingers shouldn't be blue, should they? She wondered as she followed the hand up the arm and finally to the face of its owner.

Robert W. Graves, occasionally referred to as Grunt, the love of her life.  Although after what she had just spent the last few hours enduring, that sentiment was barely holding on by a thread.  What did the W stand for in his name again? She wondered as he smiled down at her, tears flowing joyfully from his eyes.  Shaking her head she made a mental note to ask Doc later what was in the shot he'd given her.  Her thought patterns bothered even her at the moment.  W…W…the light bulb went off as Leila recalled what her beloved's middle name was.  She looked up at him and saw that is mouth was moving.

"Hmm? I'm sorry I missed that." Leila said.

"I said, how do you feel?" Grunt asked again.

"I've been better.  Yourself?"

Grunt laughed.  "I think you broke my hand." He replied.

"Well then…I feel fabulous!" Leila grinned.  Doc interrupted the two just then to introduce them to their new son.

"Here you go folks.  Leila honey?" Doc started.  "At an ounce shy of ten pounds, you are more then welcome to break his hand." He deadpanned, jerking a thumb at Grunt before taking a look at the hand in question.  Doc barely touched it and Grunt's eyes shot wide open in pain.  "Oh yeah she broke it alright." Doc looked down at the new mother and noted that she wasn't paying any attention to him what so ever.  "Leila?"

"What?" She frowned.  Disappointed that she had to tear her attention away from her precious baby. 

"Trust me sweetie, you'll wanna see this." Doc smirked as he got a better hold of Grunt's injured hand.  Leila smirked as Grunt almost passed out in sheer agony when Doc jerked the broken bones back into place.  "That should do it." He smiled, packing ice around the swollen appendage.

"Okay! We're even now!" Leila chirped before returning her full attention to the little boy laying on her chest.  Grunt was about to say something, then thought against the idea.  Leila did have a point after all, he thought.  He'd had the easy job in the creation of their son.  She'd put up with what he summed up best as, sheer hell…and for a hell of a lot longer then the few minutes it had taken them to conceive the baby.

As Doc rummaged around for something to pass as a birth certificate, Grunt and Leila looked at their newborn son.  He had his mother's beautiful almond shaped blue eyes and his father's soft brown hair, he had also inherited the rest of his father's features as well.  Doc came back to the couple and asked them if they had decided on a name for the baby yet.  The look of thought that Leila got, was so comical and Grunt couldn't help but laugh.  "You're as high as a kite aren't you?" He asked.

"Uh huh." She answered.  "And I'm gonna have a little talk with him later about that too." Leila added, waving a finger in Doc's general direction.  Name? What had she been thinking about, right before her torture had ended?  That's right!  What the hell was in that shot, Leila thought before she spoke up.   Just to be sure, she turned to Grunt real quick.

"You're middle name's Wyatt, right?" She asked.  Grunt nodded and she turned her attention to Doc.  "Wyatt works." Doc smiled as he wrote down the boy's name.  "Wyatt Holt Graves." Leila announced.  

Doc left the two to get better acquainted with Wyatt in private and went to the outer office.   Surprisingly at this ungodly hour in the evening, there was someone waiting around for any news.  Several someone's at that.  "Do those two even know you guys are up?" Doc asked the small crowd in the office.  Most of them thought that the new parents probably had no idea anyone was waiting for news and told Doc so.  

"Well I don't know if they're up for company at the moment." Doc stated.  "Leila and the baby are fine by the way." He smirked when he realised he'd forgotten the most important piece of information.  "Um Leila's a little high right now on pain meds and I have to go back in there and cast Grunt's hand." Doc added. 

"Grunt's hand?" Steeler asked.

"Leila broke it." Doc answered.  "And seeing as the boy weighs in at nine pounds fifteen, I don't really blame her."

"Oooo." Cover Girl winced.  "I'd have broken just a little bit more then his hand."   Clutch stepped away from her before asking the next question.

"So? What's the little guys name?"

Doc checked the piece of paper he'd written all of the information down on before reading it off to everyone.  "Wyatt Holt Graves.  Nine pounds fifteen ounces.  Twenty-one inches long.  Healthy as a horse and the proud owner of a great set of lungs, not to mention ten fingers and toes.  Born at twelve o' three this morning, the morning of…" Doc paused when he realised the date.  "You guys know you've been here for exactly one year now?  As of today?" Doc asked Steeler and Clutch.

Cover Girl, the Baroness and a few others who had joined in on the vigil looked to the two displaced Joes.  Clutch glanced to the side as he tried to recall what they'd done in the last year as Steeler scrutinised Doc.  "You sure?"  At Doc's 'yes', Steeler shook his head.  "Doesn't feel like it." He muttered.

"Well you have to admit, you have been busy." Doc suggested before shooing everyone out of his office.  "Come back in the morning to visit.  I have to go entertain Leila now by causing Grunt some serious pain." Doc cackled as he turned to go back into the operating theatre.

Outside in the hall Steeler paused.  The Baroness stopped when she realised he wasn't walking at her side anymore and turned to look at him.  She frowned.  He had that look again.  The one that meant he'd be thinking things over for a few days and would be very quiet and introspective.  It happened every once in a great while and she had gotten used to it.  The Steeler she loved, and had long since buried didn't have this peculiar habit, but then the man she was looking at was quite different from the one she originally fell in love with.  She had learned early on that though they looked the same and in fact were the same man, they differed greatly in personality.  Knowing better, she didn't say anything as she took his hand in a show of understanding.  No matter who he was, she would stand by his side.  She'd vowed that a year ago, on the night she had found him.

Several hours and several thousand miles away, Short Fuse stood at the doorway of his next assignment.  He was about to knock again when one of his quarries answered it, his left arm in a sling.  "That thing still bothering you Sea?" Short Fuse asked as he stepped inside.

"Yup.  I have my good days and my bad ones…this is a bad one." Sea, also known as Sci-Fi answered.  "Shoes." He added pointing to Short Fuse's feet.

Short Fuse raised an eyebrow and frowned.  "Y'know? That monk you sleep with, ain't the only one who grew up in Japan." He snorted as he bent down to take his shoes off.

Sci-Fi couldn't help but smirk.  "Yeah.  But said 'monk' isn't gonna slug you one if you forget.  I on the other hand, will get nailed for forgetting to remind you."  After Short Fuse had removed his shoes the two went into the main living room of the townhouse.  "Babe?  Eric's here." Sea called out to the other occupant of the place.

"Be out in a minute.  Hi Eric." Tripwire called from somewhere off of the kitchen.

"Hey yerself, Tor." Eric called back as he flopped into the armchair.  "I'll dump my shite in a sec, if you don't mind." He added, referring to his travel bag.  Sea asked Eric if there was anything he'd like when something dashed past on the floor near Eric's feet.  "Jesus! What the fuck?"

Sea looked out into the living room and spotted what had startled his friend.  "Squirrel." 

"That thing's still alive?" Eric asked incredulously.  "And fat too.  It's huge compared to the last time I saw it." He added.

Sea came out with a cup of coffee for his guest and smirked.  "No.  He's all grown up now.  Diz was just a baby when I found him." 

"Ya mean when ya almost killed him test firing that sonic gun." Eric corrected.  "Uh…why's he got a towel with him?" He asked when he saw the burgundy hand towel Diz was carrying.

Sea explained how his pet had pretty much claimed the house as his, within days of moving in after the final conflict.  The towel was just the first of several claims Diz had made on the couple's stuff, not that either of them really minded.  "It amazes me how nine ounces of deaf rodent has full run of this place." Sea laughed as he finished his story.  

Tor came into the room and after dumping Diz in Sea's lap, took a seat next to him.  "How was your tip Eric?" 

"Bumpy.  I hate friggin' turbulence." Eric growled.  

They talked some more before Eric got down to business.  "As I'm sure you've guessed by now, this ain't a social visit…or I'd have brought along the club clothes.  As you know, cleaning up COBRA's mess is taking a lot longer then anyone figured." He began.  "What I was sent out here to find out was, would you two mind shipping back east to help with the logistical side of things?"

The couple on the couch looked at each other first before looking back to Eric.  "Mind specifying exactly what it is that we'd be doing?" Sea asked.

"Well for starters, the Baroness can't even find half the shit Cobra Commander had swiped and stashed during the occupation.  And believe me, she's looked.  You two were real good at sniffing supplies out and stealing them back, so she figured that you'd be able to do that again for her, and a lot better then anyone else has so far." Eric explained.  "Basically, you'd be working with Mainframe.  We did find a bank of CRAY's with a shit load of info on em, but he needs help going through it all."

"Define shit load?" 

"Blaine figures that they contain just about every bit of info from the five years COBRA was in control around here." Eric replied.  "He's spent the last four months in just decoding it all, and he's still working on that.  Steeler and me have been trying to use what we do find with little success.  So you wanna come over and show us up?" Eric grinned.

Sci-Fi and Tripwire glanced at each other before speaking.  After a few moments Tor spoke up.  "Want to give Angel a ring?"

"Angel?"

"Local drag queen slash house sitter." Sea replied.

"Okay…" Eric muttered.

"Yeah.  Might as well call Chaz too while we're at it." Sea added.

"Chaz?"

Tor smirked before answering that one. "Tall, sinfully beautiful, Afrikaans boy, who was our right hand during the occupation." Eric raised an eyebrow as Tor continued.  "Believe me, he'd help make things go a lot faster, not only in finding stuff but in helping filch it back." Tor explained.

Eric shrugged.  "Hey, whatever works for you two.  So I take it then, yer gonna help?"

"Just give us a couple of days to get organised here and we're all yours." Sea grinned.  He rose from the couch to go make the necessary calls, leaving Eric and Tor alone in the living room.  

"I've got a plane waiting for me at the airport." Eric started.  "I'll call ahead and say you two are coming, along with company.  I have to take a detour first though." He added.

"Oh?"

Eric frowned as he considered his friend.  "We don't just need help with the recovery, we have problems with cells of COBRA forces that just don't know when to give up."  Tor bit his lip as he took the information in.  "My next stop involves rounding up some really mean and nasty help on that front." Eric continued.

"Mean and nasty?"

Eric smirked.  "Yeah, all four feet eleven inches of it."  Both men howled in laughter as Tor figured out whom Eric was referring too.

"Courtney will be thrilled."

TBC…


	2. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues. 

Author Chick's Notes: A little more recap is all.  Disclaimers in Chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

Short Fuse awoke to roaring laughter in the other room.  A day had passed since he'd arrived in San Francisco to round up Sci-Fi and Tripwire.  He'd called ahead to Las Vegas to see if Dusty and Imani were interested in taking out some really stubborn snakes.  They both jumped on the bang wagon and Short Fuse had told them that he'd swing by town to pick them up.

Glancing at the clock, he decided that it was pointless to try and go back to sleep, so he crawled out of bed and made his way into the living room.  The first thing he saw made him think if he had remembered to put his glasses on.  A flamboyant, petite, Asian woman with more luggage then a rock star would need, was joking with the two residents of the house.  On second glance, Short Fuse saw that the woman was in fact a man.  A very feminine one at that.

"Oh Sea honey, who is this gorgeous hunk of blonde?" The man asked when he saw Short Fuse.

Sci-Fi laughed before introducing the two.  "Angel, this is a buddy of ours, Eric.  Eric say hello to the greatest drag queen of the Castro, Angel."  Angel extended a warm greeting to Eric.  Eric meanwhile, was happy with just waving and was about to move when he thought of something.

"Where's that furry hearing impaired rat of yours?" Eric asked, not wanting to accidentally step on Diz, or get the living hell scared out of him like the previous day.

"In the tree behind you."  Eric turned to his left where a potted palm grew in the corner and sure enough, snoring away in the branches was Diz.

Angel spotted the squirrel too and spoke up. "That thing is going with you right?"

"Your sequins and wigs are safe.  Diz is coming with us."

"Oh good." Angel chirped.

"Great." Eric growled.  Tripwire stepped into view with a cup of coffee and handed it to Eric.  "So I take it you're house sitting then?" Eric asked Angel as he took a seat on the couch.  

Eric watched as Angel made himself at home in the small townhouse and chattered away about the nightlife of the area.  A knock at the door caused Eric to become suspicious as he looked to Sea and Tor.  Tor went and answered the door, allowing a tall thin man with long shaggy blonde hair into the place.  "Eric?  This is Chaz, the kid we're bringing along with us." Tor introduced.  "Chaz, meet Eric, a good friend of ours from the good old days."

Chaz nodded at Eric before turning back to Tor.  "Met him in the Army?"  Eric couldn't miss the man's slow South African drawl if he tried.  At Tor's 'yes', Chaz smirked.  "Looks like he's straight you slag." Chaz directed at Angel.  Angel just poked his tongue out at the new comer before returning to his unpacking.  "We're leaving this afternoon?" Chaz asked as he dropped his bag in the foyer. 

"Yup."

Chaz nodded again.  "I have something I need to wrap up real quick.  I'll be back in a few." He said as he turned to leave.   He rummaged around in his jacket pocket and pulled out an empty cigarette pack.  "Make that two things I have to wrap up." He added and with that he left.  

"I didn't understand a single word that kid said." Eric laughed as he watched the front door.

"You get used to it." Sea offered as he got a small bag out of a drawer.  "Babe?  Where's Dizzy's towel?"  He asked, his train of thought shifting to packing up for their trip. 

Several hundred miles away, Gladys Tadur smiled at the tiny waif that staggered into the kitchen.  She greeted her daughter in law as the girl poured a cup of coffee for herself and flopped down at the table.  "You don't do mornings very well do you dear?" The elder woman asked.

"No." Imani answered tersely.  

Gladys chuckled as she left Imani to wake up in peace and went outside.  It was still fairly early in the morning but it was already getting quite warm.  Gladys figured that the desert spring had ended and the notorious Las Vegas summer was about to begin in earnest.  Gladys watched her son tinker with the air conditioning unit on the side of the house for a while before announcing herself.

"Hey Mom." Dusty smiled when he realised he wasn't alone.  "Imani up yet?" He asked.

"Yes and in her usual cheerful mood." Gladys laughed.

Dusty winced then said he'd wait a while before seeing his wife.  "She's never been a morning person." He muttered.  "As long as I've known her, she hates mornings."  

"This morning is no different, Honey." Gladys smiled.  She watched as Dusty placed the access panel back onto the unit and screwed it shut.  

"Well.  Looks like the house'll be nice and cool this year for you." Dusty drawled.  He looked down at his mother who was only slightly taller then Imani and smiled.  The two were quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the early morning together before Gladys spoke up.  Dusty noted the hint of sadness in her voice as she wished for his and Imani's safe return.

"We'll be careful Mom." Dusty assured her.  Gladys raised a hand to her son's face and patted his cheek.

"I miss when you were smaller." She teased.

"He was small at one time?" Imani asked from the back door, her eyes sizing Dusty up in disbelief.  It was then that Gladys realised she hadn't properly embarrassed her son yet.

"Oh! Let me show you his baby pictures!" She grinned as she went inside to retrieve them.  Imani caught the look of horror on her husband's face and smirked.  This was going to be fun.

Back in the City by the Bay, Chaz had returned having wrapped up his personal loose ends, and stocking up on his favourite brand of smokes.  Angel was standing in the doorway wishing the group good luck and a safe trip, as they packed up the car taking them to the airport.  

"No wild parties!" Sea teased.  Angel sniffed and said he wouldn't dream of inviting scum over to the neat little townhouse to begin with.  "And no orgies either! Unless you get em on video!" Sea added.  

"Honey I always film my good times." Angel teased back.  Eric had to bite his lip from laughing out loud as Chaz made a crude comment under his breath.  "I heard that you unkept Boer!"  They said their final farewells and the car left the curbside.

On the way to their plane Eric asked why the couple had chosen Angel to house sit for them.  "Simple.  Angel might be over the top, but she's honest to a fault.  All our stuff will still be there when we get back." Sea laughed.  Eric thought about it and agreed that the couple had a point.

They had been in the air for a little over an hour when they felt the plane begin to descend.   Chaz looked out the window but couldn't see anything save for miles of nothing.  "I thought you said we were going to DC?" 

Eric heard the question and told Chaz they had to make a pick up first.  The plane landed in Las Vegas and Chaz's eyes lit up.  He'd never been to the Sin City but he had heard a lot about it in his native South Africa.  Sun City in his home country had tried to emulate the desert oasis with little success.  When Chaz found out that they'd be staying long enough to meet two people already waiting for them in the terminal, he made a mental note to come back one day for a proper visit.

"You'll be legal then." Tor teased as the plane came to a stop.  That's when Eric found out that his suspicions about the youth were correct.  Chaz was barely twenty years of age, Imani was older then him by a few months.

Eric got out of the plane and went to the terminal bar where Dusty and Imani would be meeting him.  He had no problem finding the couple, especially Imani.  As small as she was, she tended to stick out in a crowd with her exotic looks.  They followed Eric back to the plane and got aboard.  Introductions were made between the couple and Chaz as they took off for their final destination.  Chaz was quite surprised and pleased that Dusty knew so much about his homeland.  Imani remained quiet as she normally did, preferring to listen and learn, rather then speak. 

It was nightfall when they landed in the capitol.  Dusty had to wake Imani up, who had curled into a little ball in her seat and gone to sleep.  They got out of the plane to find a large van waiting for them and soon they were taken to a large mansion on the outskirts of the city.  "What happened to the bunker?" Imani asked.

"The Baroness doesn't need to hide an army now, so we've moved our base of operations here." Eric explained.

Imani shrugged and leaned her head against the window as they drove.  She sat bolt upright and grinned when she saw who was waiting for them in the garage.  The van hadn't even come to a complete stop when Imani tossed back the door and dashed over to Cover Girl's waiting arms.  The two women embraced and laughed as they reunited.  Their audience however took a more reserved approach, steering clear of the two out of habit.

"Peace as we knew it is over?" Clutch asked Dusty as the mechanic greeted the travellers.

"Oh yeah." Dusty sighed, watching Imani and Cover Girl.

"So how's Imani adapting to western culture?" Clutch asked.

"Remind me to have a little chat with my ex girlfriend about that one." Dusty smirked, jerking a thumb in Cover Girl's direction.

The other gathering was not quite as friendly as the first one however.  Stalker raised an eyebrow when he was introduced to Chaz.  "South Africa?" The Detroit native asked warily.

"Yes." Chaz replied.  "And despite what those who used to be in power believe, not all whites in South Africa believe in Apartheid." He added.  To prove his point, Chaz was the first to extend a hand in friendship.  Stalker took it and realised that the man was telling the truth.  

"Okay." Sea chimed in.  "Stalker bud…YOU'RE gonna handle the rest of the introductions!" He laughed.

The ranger laughed as well.  "Don't worry, I'll vouch for the kid." 

Chaz shrugged and took out a cigarette.  Satisfied that his nationality wouldn't be an issue, he relaxed some.  Sea and Tor had already heard about his Nana, who was Zulu, and had not been allowed to come to his birthday party as a child, simply because she was black.  Chaz had sworn then, that if the chance to wipe away the regime in control had ever come to pass, he'd be the first in line to do so.  COBRA's take over however had only made things worse and he feared for his homeland.  

Eric watched Chaz as the tension visibly melted from the young man.  Chaz had already explained his behaviour with Angel as an ongoing joke between the two and now Eric could see it for the truth it was.  Glancing at the two joyous women, Eric was grateful that Imani, as worldly as she appeared, was in fact quite naive about much of the world.  She'd shown no wariness of Chaz at all and Eric was glad.  He'd found that the longer he knew the youth, the more he liked his quiet, to the point manner.

TBC…


	3. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes: History time!  I got bored and decided to inject a little fun into the chapter. ^^  Not to mention some quality education.  Disclaimers in Chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

It had been several days since the group from the west coast had arrived at the Baroness' mansion in D.C.  Mainframe showed Chaz, Sci-Fi, and Tripwire the computers they had discovered and stood back and laughed as the three cracked the system in no time flat.  Something the Baroness had said made sense to Mainframe, after Chaz took a look at the file names that had been retrieved and figured out what each one meant.

Destro had apparently programmed the master files into the CRAY's.  Before his execution he had enjoyed a hobby surrounding historical figures, his particular favourites were despots and tyrannical rulers.  Chaz immediately recognized several file names as things and people associated with Shaka, the great king of the Zulu people in the early eighteen hundreds.  

"They got 'mfecane' right."  The young Boer growled as he reorganized the files.

"Em fa kah nee?" Mainframe asked, tripping over the African word a little. 

"It means 'the crushing' in Zulu.  It's how Shaka reorganized the African nations as he conquered them." Chaz explained.  "It's basic history in school in South Africa, and my Nan made sure I knew all of it." He added.  Chaz pulled up one of the files in the computer and laughed.  "Looks like tin head was going to overthrow the head snake after all." 

When asked to explain, Chaz went on to tell them that a file named for Shaka's brother was actually plans for overthrowing Cobra Commander and seizing complete control of the empire.

"Like the old saying goes." Sci-Fi drawled.  "No honour among thieves."

"Well this file was aptly named.  Dingane assassinated Shaka, and then his co conspirators before he too was assassinated." Chaz laughed.  "I guess history repeats itself after all."  It took Chaz a little over three hours to translate what had stumped Mainframe for almost four months.  

"Hell.  If I knew it was going to be this easy, I'd have asked for you to show up months ago." Mainframe snorted while the trio reorganized and renamed the files.

"Not entirely." Tripwire spoke up.  "On the west coast, they were using the history of the Han dynasty, particularly Wu Di as their code." 

"I knew I should have paid more attention in history class." Mainframe joked.

Chaz made a comment under his breath that the elder man didn't miss.  As they were wrapping up, Sci-Fi programmed a new access code and password into the system.  "Still on the history kick?" Chaz asked when he saw what Sci-Fi had entered.

"Yup." Sci-Fi smirked.

"So what is so important about the third of July?" Chaz asked.

Mainframe saw what Sci-Fi had typed in and laughed.  "What was that about ignorance is bliss?" He teased Chaz.  

Sci-Fi smirked before enlightening Chaz as to what the significance of the numbers he'd punched in, meant.  "First off, this is the States.  If that was a date it would read March seventh, not July third.  Secondly, it ain't a date." 

"No, but it does scream you." Mainframe laughed.

"Okay then.  What does it mean?" Chaz asked again.

"Let's just say if you saw three, seven, seventy seven painted on your front door or the sign of your business, you had three hours, seven minutes and seventy seven seconds to get as far away as possible." Sci-Fi smirked.

"Or…?"

"Or you'd find yourself in a hole, three feet wide, seven feet long and seventy seven inches deep…and you'd be dead when the vigilance committee lowered you into it."  Sci-Fi then explained the vigilante movement during the gold rush days of the old west and that the number was especially significant when it came to his home state of Montana.  "Hell, it's so ingrained into the Montanan mindset that the highway patrol had it in its emblem." He added.

"It might also explain why the militia movement was so popular in Montana before the snakes took over." Mainframe laughed.

"Oh go play with a computer or something you sun baked lizard." Sci-Fi huffed.

Chaz stared between the two as they began to tease each other in earnest, Tripwire just rolled his eyes and copied some information they had retrieved before shutting the system off.  Chaz heard Tripwire cough under his breath and turned towards his friend.  A second cough got no response from the other two so Tripwire frowned, Chaz recognized the look and smirked.  

"If the children are quite done arguing!" Tripwire started, grabbing Mainframe and Sci-Fi's complete and undivided attention.  "Let's start putting this to good use, shall we?" He suggested, holding up the disc he'd just copied.  Tripwire turned to leave and Chaz followed.  

Mainframe glanced to Sci-Fi then towards the door.  "You're the wife aren't you?" He asked.

"Now how did you guess that?" Sci-Fi groaned as they also left the room.

Steeler looked up when he heard the door open.  Tripwire came in holding the disc he'd copied and smiled.  "This is what you wanted right?" He asked.

Steeler took the disc and after placing it into the computer, started pulling up the data.  Tripwire explained that they had renamed the files and changed the access codes.  Steeler read the file they had named 'Stashed stuff' and began reading.  Tripwire had already been filled in about the lieutenant's dark mood and said nothing as Steeler went over the information.  "Mt Graham?" Steeler asked when he saw one of the locals listed as a storehouse.

"COBRA got their hands on that?" Tripwire asked as he stepped behind the desk to read over Steeler's shoulder.

"Apparently.  Why?"

Tripwire groaned and wondered what else COBRA had gotten access too while they were in control of the world.  "Graham is the site of a top secret military command post.  They had access to all the nukes."

"Like Cheyenne in Colorado?" Steeler asked.  Tripwire explained about the base they were looking at and Steeler figured that in this reality, the government had used Arizona instead of Colorado as the site for their top-secret air defense system.

"No.  This wasn't air defense.  Mt Graham was where the majority of the nuclear arms access was." Tripwire explained.  "They were ready for incoming strikes from the Soviets but their main purpose was attack." 

Steeler shook his head and accepted what he'd been told.  This was after all a different reality from what he knew and he was always learning something new about this world. "Okay then, so tell me about Graham and why it was so important to COBRA…besides being able to nuke the place if they wanted."

Tripwire smirked.  "It is the site of the largest man-made cave in the US.  Plenty of room to warehouse stolen supplies."

"Hmm." Steeler punched up a communications link.  "Anna?  Mt Graham?" He asked when the Baroness answered his hail.

"What about it?" She listened as Steeler explained what Tripwire had just told him and smacked her hand to her forehead.  "That's why it always took a few days for large supply shipments to arrive!  It was out west."

Steeler and Tripwire listened in as she explained that she would send a recon out to the area to investigate.  Cutting the transmission Steeler looked up at Tripwire.  "Where's yer other half by the way?"

Tripwire glanced behind him and saw that his beloved was nowhere to be found.  Frowning he turned back to Steeler.  "Probably still arguing over who had the best vigilantes in the old west with Mainframe."  At Steeler's raised eyebrow, Tripwire explained.  "Let's just say history paid out for us and they got a little carried away."

"I'll take your word for it." Steeler offered.

In an auditorium in the mansion, Imani listened in as the daily reports were being read out.  Imani and Dusty were taking a few days to get acquainted with the methods of the new armed forces before adding their muscle to the movement.  Dusty had asked Imani to listen in for him as he caught up on the weaponry side of things.  After the briefing ended, the group dispersed.  Imani rose from her seat and went towards the front of the auditorium to speak with the presenter of the briefing.

Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned forward on the podium and watched as Torpedo put his notes away.  Sensing he was being watched, the SEAL turned and smiled.  "Aloha little anuinui."  He greeted.  Imani smirked up at the nickname he'd given her during the overthrow attempt before returning his greeting. 

"Although I still have never seen one." She added, referring to what 'anuinui' meant.

"Dat's 'cause dey don't have rainbows in da desert." He laughed.  Torpedo folded his arms and leaned forward to give her a kiss on her forehead.  "I thought dat was you in da back dere." He added.

Imani smirked again before noticing the dog tags hanging from his neck.  She recognized the name on one of them as she took them in her hand.  "You truly cared for him didn't you?" She asked, thumbing Deep Six's tag.  

Torpedo traced a finger over the embossed lettering for a moment.  "He was my best friend.  Hell, da closest thing I wen have to a brother." Torpedo explained.  Imani understood his loss and nodded.  After a few silent moments, Torpedo grinned at his guest.  "I take it you want for do more den just reminisce?" 

"Yes." Imani answered.  "Dusty and I are here to help with snakes after all."

"I so wanted for hear you say dat." Torpedo laughed.  

As the two talked another man entered the auditorium.  "G'day guppy." He greeted Torpedo.  "Kin?" He added referring to Imani.

Torpedo laughed.  "You remember Dusty right?" At the man's 'yes', Torpedo continued.  "Dis is Mrs Dusty." He grinned jerking his thumb at Imani.

The man's eyes shot wide open as he was introduced to Imani.  "Cor, he likes em young doesn't he?" 

"I am a little older then I look." Imani offered.

"Barely." Torpedo snorted. 

"I did say 'little'."  Imani retorted.

"Dan, dis is Imani Tadur.  Imani, dis is Dan Bennet of da SAS.  He spent his time during da occupation keeping COBRA out of da Outback." Torpedo said as he introduced the two.  "Dan goes by Skymate sometimes." He added.

After the introductions were concluded, Skymate looked to Torpedo.  "Zandar's back.  They found it." 

"For real, Cuz?" 

Skymate nodded.  "Yeah they found it.  Zandar's the only one who got out alive though." Torpedo and Imani both shared a look of shock as Skymate explained that Zandar was going over his information with the Baroness at that moment.  "We might as well hang out here, because they'll be giving a briefing in a few." Skymate added.

The trio remained silent for a moment before Skymate snapped his fingers.  "Wait a sec, this is the kid you said was the lethal shot?" He asked Torpedo, referring to Imani.

"Don't let dat sweet angelic face fool you…she's mean." Torpedo smirked as he nodded his head 'yes'.

"Well then.  I look forward to blasting the hell out of shite with you, Love." Skymate bowed dramatically.

"I like him." Imani grinned.

"Yeah, just don't piss her off 'mate'."  Dusty's voice chimed in from the back of the room.  "She has no qualms about putting people in their place." 

"Let me guess." Skymate smirked as Dusty stepped behind Imani.  "She has a firm grip on the tackle."

Imani leaned against her husband as he snorted a laugh.  "Oh yeah.  I'm surprised she hasn't ripped anything off yet." Dusty said as he hugged his petite wife.  Imani rolled her eyes at the three men before they all heard a commotion coming from the back of the auditorium.

"Looks like dey ready for debriefing." Torpedo muttered as he rose from his leaning position on the podium.

TBC…


	4. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes: Can't have a story without a bad guy. ^^  Disclaimers in Chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

Zartan looked up at his captor.  The man was a former aide to Cobra Commander and after the fall of the COBRA Empire, had taken it upon himself to rebuild the world in his fallen leader's image.  The Dredknocks had gone into the infiltrating business after the overthrow of the COBRA regime.  Acting as COBRA supporters they had managed to get their way into smaller cells of resistance before exposing them and turning them over to the clean up forces.  They had never been able to find the main centre of the COBRA forces until now, and this time it looked like they wouldn't be able to pass on what they'd found.

Torch lay bleeding to death near the Dredknock leader and as for the other two.  Ripper and Monkey Wrench were in similar shape.   Zartan felt his hair being yanked from behind as he was forced to look into the eyes of the man standing over him.  "You pathetic little dog." The man purred.  "As soon as things change you turn tail and side with the resistance."

"I'm a mercenary first, Edgewood." Zartan spit back.

"Yes, you are." Edgewood agreed.  "A dead one."  With that he turned from the fallen Dredknocks and snapped his fingers.  Zartan felt two of the bullets as they bit into his back.  He never felt the third one that ripped his skull apart.  

The soldiers poured ammunition into the quartet for a full two minutes before finally ceasing fire.  Edgewood turned to the macabre scene before frowning.  "Clean it up." He ordered in distaste before retreating to his quarters.

The recording stopped there and Zandar faced the assembled masses in the auditorium.  "I got out while they were disposing of the bodies.  My job was to remain hidden 'just in case', as Zartan had put it.  It seems my brother's instincts were correct."  

The Baroness stepped forward to add to the presentation.  "I know of this man, Edgewood.  He was the Commander's aide, it seems he was paying attention to what went on with his master." She began.  "I have learned since this information was brought back however that not only did he run errands, it would seem Edgewood was the brains behind the operation, if you will." 

"The friggin secretary was running the show?" A voice piped up from the crowd.

"He was running Cobra Commander's part of it." Zarana spoke up.  The petite woman stepped forward to add what she knew of their new quarry.  "Edgewood is anything but a 'secretary'.  He's a madman who is not the slightest bit afraid to commit whatever needs to be done to meet his ends.  He'd make the Marquis De Sade shiver in his boots if they'd ever met.  Edgewood's a sadistic bastard if there was ever one." 

Zandar took the podium again.  "We found them at a camp in the Cape York region of Australia.  I think they might have a main headquarters somewhere in the region.  Either that or somewhere else in the country."

"Oh brilliant." Short Fuse spoke up.  "Cape York is only one sixth of the fucking country!  It'd take days to search the whole region.  It'd be like searching all of Washington, Oregon and Idaho!"

Skymate smirked from his seat.  "Actually mate, try months to search it entirely.  Unlike the Pacific Northwest, Cape York's relatively untouched by man."

"Great." 

"That is IF you don't know the territory." Skymate added.  "I from there and I know it and the natives pretty good.  If they are lurking about in the bush, I reckon I could find them a hell of a lot faster then you lot." 

"You have a plan then?" The Baroness asked.

"I might." Skymate replied.  "Give me two weeks and the guppy." He requested, jerking his head at Torpedo.  "A) A large force would slow me down.  B) Any one of you Yanks would stand out like a sore thumb." Before anyone could bring up the fact that Torpedo was a 'Yank', Skymate continued.  "He can be palmed off as a Maori.  There are enough Kiwis living in Aussie for it to work.  And lastly, the territory is more his speed, at least this time of year."

"There's one slight hiccup though." Short Fuse contended.  "If I'm not mistaken, a Maori would sound like a New Zealander, not a local boy from Hawaii."

Torpedo smirked before adding to the discussion.  "Its not that hard an accent to pull off." He spoke in a perfect imitation of a New Zealand accent.

"How…?"

"My Ma's Maori.  I know da accent and da language." Torpedo replied in his usual voice.

The Baroness hid a smile behind her hand as the discussion went on.  After Skymate was done, she asked if there were any objections to his idea.  No one could think of any.  "It's settled then.  When can you leave?" She asked.

"How fast can you pack?" Skymate asked Torpedo.  

"Ten minutes, if dat."

"Tonight's good." Skymate said.

"Very well then.  I'll get a plane ready to go immediately." The Baroness purred.

"Make it a smaller one for landing in Cairns." Skymate spoke up. "Anything bigger and we'd end up in Brisbane and that's a long bloody haul up north."

It was just after dusk when the plane took off for the southern hemisphere.  The pilot warned them that they'd be in for a bumpy ride too.  "Sleeping might be difficult.  There's a huge cyclone tearing up the South Pacific between Samoa and New Caledonia." The pilot explained.

"Reckon ya can get above it?" Skymate asked.

The pilot sighed.  "We'll see when I get to it." She explained.  She did manage to avoid the storm for the most part and their trip was relatively turbulence free.  It wasn't until they were two hours from their destination that they got any real bad bumps caused by the seething tempest below.

Torpedo was slammed against the headrest by one of the more violent jolts and he awoke with a start.  "Damn what she doing?  Flying through da thing?" 

"Nah.  We're at the edge of the cyclone." Skymate explained.  Torpedo stared at him slack jawed but said nothing.  

A few hours later they landed in the predawn hours in Cairns.  What had once been a booming tourism town had been reduced to little more then a few scattered outposts.  "Wow.  Dey didn't leave any room for resistance here, did dey?" Torpedo asked when he got a good look around.

"This is nothing.  At least Cairns is still standing.  They wiped Townsville off the map." Skymate growled.  

Torpedo bit his lip.  He knew what it felt like to loose one's home.  Skymate led them to a small shantytown a few miles from the airstrip.  At one of the last shacks in the cluster, he knocked on the door and then entered.  An ancient Aboriginal man looked up from his table and smiled.  "Danny.  Good to see ya boy." He greeted.

"G'day Gary." Skymate smiled back.  In the dim light, Torpedo could barely make out the outline of the man.  "This is me mate Koa.  Guppy, this is Gary.  One of the tribal elders in the area." Skymate introduced the two.  Torpedo nodded towards the elder in a show of respect for his title.

"Maori boy?" Gary asked.

"Half." Torpedo replied.  Gary chuckled in the dark room before inviting his guests to sit down.  

Skymate went to the little camp stove and poured Torpedo and Gary a cup of coffee.  After handing the cups over he poured himself one then made himself comfortable on the floor.  "So what brings you out from the desert?" Gary asked.

"Actually, I've been in the States for the last couple of months." Skymate explained.  "I'd met Koa while I was with the SAS.  He's a former Navy SEAL." 

"You're a Yank then?" Gary asked Torpedo.

"Hawai'i born and raised." 

"Hnn." Gary noted the fact and then turned back to Skymate.  "So what brings you here?" 

Skymate explained his mission and that he and Torpedo were going to scout for a possible residual cell of COBRA forces further north.  "I reckon we can find some of the brothers and see what they know." He added.

Gary nodded his head as he thought about what he'd just heard.  "Maybe Wombat can drive you up to Geralia Rock.  It'll save you a few days walk about." He suggested.  "He'll be coming over soon anyway for coffee and a natter." 

"Ya reckon?" Skymate asked.  Gary laughed and said that Wombat showed up almost like clockwork everyday.  "Beauty then."

A little while a younger Aborigine showed up and was introduced to Torpedo as Wombat.  Gary told Wombat about the duo's mission and he readily agreed to take them to Geralia Rock.  After an hour of talking, Wombat left with Skymate and Torpedo in tow.  They followed him to a beat up old jeep, Torpedo raised an eyebrow when he saw it, but shrugged and tossed his bedroll into the back and hoped in.  "It looks like a piece a shit, but it gets ya where ya need to go." Wombat winked as he got into the driver's seat.

The drive to Geralia Rock took most of the day on switchback roads.  Wombat avoided the main road that ran north south on the peninsula out of habit.  There was about two hours of sunlight left when Torpedo and Skymate parted ways with Wombat.  They both thanked him for the lift and started heading into the dense brush.

As they got a little further into the bush, Skymate dumped his swag and dug around for something in it.  Pulling out a piece of wood attached to a string, he climbed up onto the top of a huge green rock and began swinging it around a few times.  "I've seen dis movie, Cuz." Torpedo joked to himself as he leaned against a tree.  The SEAL's senses kicked in suddenly but to late.  

Someone was holding a blade to his throat, another was held dangerously close to his heart.  Glancing down the shaft of the spear, Torpedo saw a dark skinned hand.  He couldn't see the rest of whomever was threatening his life because they had chosen to stand just beyond his range of sight.  Remaining perfectly still, Torpedo tried to spot Skymate through the thick branches of the trees surrounding the rock.  No such luck, he could hear the whirling sound of the 'talking stick' as Skymate had called it, but he couldn't see the source of the sound.  He suddenly heard someone yelling something he couldn't understand and the two spear points disappeared.

A tall Aborigine stepped into Torpedo's view, grinning.  "G'day mate, sorry to scare ya."   A shorter man stepped out from Torpedo's other side and moved towards the rock to stand guard.  Torpedo still leaned against the tree with his arms folded across his chest as he sized the two men up.  Skymate called out from above and Torpedo shook his head and chuckled.

"No worries Guppy!  These are mates of mine, the ones I was looking for." Skymate bellowed.

The taller of the two Torpedo saw, held his hand out in greeting.  "G'day Guppy, name's Shane."

"I'm gonna strangle dat hoale." Torpedo laughed.  "Aloha, my name's Koa.  Your 'mate' up dere calls me guppy out of spite." He snorted as he returned the handshake.

Shane laughed.  "Nah.  No worries Koa.  Danny's never been good at keeping names straight. " 

"I heard that ya bloody lying bastard!" Skymate laughed as he came down from the rock.  There were two more Aborigines with him as he made his way over to Shane and Torpedo.  "This is Shane, Wally, Dingo, and Diesel." Skymate introduced the men to Torpedo.  "This is Koa, a mate of mine from the States." 

"We were looking for tucker when we saw your mate." Diesel spoke up.  "Then we heard you and the talking stick so we checked things out."

"We're settled at a billabong nearby." Wally added.  

Shane, Wally and Diesel said they'd be back in a while as Dingo led Skymate and Torpedo to his group's camp.  Torpedo's eyes lit up when he saw the large water hole.  After setting up his bedroll he made his way towards the water when a thought occurred to him.  "Hey? No get any of those walking sets of luggage wit' teeth in dere do dey?" He asked, pointing to the water.

"Nah mate.  It's to isolated for them to get too." Dingo explained.

Satisfied he wouldn't become dinner for any large reptiles, Torpedo took his shirt and shoes off and dived in.  The water was blessedly cool and Torpedo spent almost an hour swimming around in the large spring before the others returned.  Dingo watched him disappear beneath the water and stay submerged for several minutes at a time.  "Cor, no wonder ya call him Guppy." 

"I swear that bloke's got gills hidden in there somewhere." Skymate laughed as the others returned from foraging.  Torpedo saw them and got out of the water.  Shane dumped the contents of his sack near the campfire and began cutting some fruit up into smaller pieces.  Diesel went to work skinning a couple of rabbits they'd caught and getting them ready to cook.

It was nightfall when dinner was ready and they ate heartily as they sat around and talked.  Skymate explained about the mission Zandar had been the only one to survive and asked if the group knew of any larger or permanent encampments of COBRA cells.

"They come poking around here every once in a while, but they're easy to avoid." Wally said.

"Yeah, ya can hear em coming from a mile off." Shane laughed.  "They're not based this far south though. There are stories that they're further north, near Weipa." He added.

"Makes sense." Skymate muttered.  He saw Torpedo raise an eyebrow and explained.  "Weipa has several huge bauxite mines in the area.  Massive natural source of aluminium."

"So we going prospecting den?" Torpedo joked.

"Yeah. Prospecting for snakes." 

Shane thought for a moment before mentioning something that might be of help.  "Some of the other brothers keep transport nearby.  They could get you north?"

Torpedo frowned.  "Maybe not just yet.  If we can find one of da smaller groups, maybe we can find out something from dem before heading into the main nest." 

Dingo pointed westwards.  "Half a day's walk that way.  There's a small supply outpost." 

"Supply outpost?" Torpedo asked.

"Yeah.  Out here you need outposts every couple hundred miles.  The country's so vast you'd get stranded in no time."  Skymate explained.  "What's the guard like?" He asked the others.

"Twenty odd at most." Wally drawled.  "Pack of wankers too, according to some of the Ningaloo tribe we ran across a couple days back."

Skymate eyed Torpedo.  "What do you reckon, Guppy?"

"No sweat hoale."  With that, Torpedo pulled out a sub machine gun from his bedroll and checked it.  "Ten minutes tops." He purred.

"Five, if you don't mind company." Diesel grinned.

The soldiers welcomed the offer and Dingo took off into the night.  "There's backup nearby." Shane smirked.  Dingo returned the following morning with several other tribesmen and they set out for the outpost later that afternoon.  

Being the only Caucasian of the group, Skymate covered himself in a dark pigment one of the Aborigines mixed together.  As the night grew on they attacked.  The few guards on watch were taken without any resistance at all.  After scouting around for anyone else who might trip an alarm, Torpedo crept into the small bunker where the bulk of the outpost's occupants were asleep.  "To easy." He whispered into the dark and opened fire on the dozen sleeping men.  One of them managed to escape Torpedo's attack and ran head on into Shane and Skymate.  He quickly fell to the ground dead.  An arrow and spear piercing his vital organs.

After making sure the area was secure, Skymate and Torpedo set about looking for anything that might tip them off to locations of other forces in the area.  "Right o then, what have we got here?" Skymate muttered as he rifled around the communications set up.  

TBC…


	5. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes: Just moving right along here. Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

Zarana looked up when she heard a knock on the door.  Opening it, she saw Zandar standing in the hallway.  Brother and sister went into the small living room area and after accepting a beer, Zandar looked at his sister.

"You know more then you said, don't you?" He asked.

Zarana bit her lip and fiddled with the end of her braid before speaking up.  "Remember when the Commander had me as a 'guest'?" Zandar frowned.  "He was nothing compared to Edgewood." Zarana bit back tears.

Zandar moved from his chair to sit next to his sister on the couch.  Zarana leaned into his hug as she continued.  "Several of the girls stashed there were murdered by him after he'd had his fun.  I guess because of Zartan, the Commander had given him orders to stay away from me." She finished.

Zandar made a low growling noise in the back of his throat.  "I can't believe our brother allowed that to continue as long as he did."

"Zartan didn't know." Zarana defended.  "When he found out, that's when he got me shipped out West.  Supposedly to work as a cop, but I was so infuriated with what had happened I found Blaine instead and joined in on the Resistance." 

"I still don't see why you did that."

"What the hell was I supposed to bloody do?" Zarana snapped.  "Oh yes Commander! You had bloody raped me every damn night just for the hell of it! Of course I'll enforce your mad regime!" Zandar held up a hand in surrender at his sister's tirade.

"Alright.  You made your point." He spoke softly.  "I honestly don't know what all happened, and to be honest I don't think I want to know."  The twins were silent for a few moments before Zandar spoke up again.  "I just hope that Dan and Koa find something."

"I'm not surprised that sod took it upon himself to keep fighting." Zarana muttered.  "He was mad like the rest of them, the only difference was he was mad like a bloody fox." 

Skymate and Torpedo had found nothing of interest at the supply depot they'd raided.  They heard reinforcements coming in as they had made their way back to their camp, so they decided to lay low and wait a few days before heading north to where the larger contingent was supposedly located.

At the depot, the leader of the recon surveyed the carnage.  "I don't see why the filthy vermin weren't eradicated in the droves back in the eighteen hundreds." He spat, referring to the early Australian settler's attempts to wipe out the Aboriginal people.  Another soldier came out of the bunker in a rush and demanded the commander's presence down below.

Several soldiers were picking up the bullet casings left from Torpedo's assault on the sleeping men and gathering any other evidence they could find.  The commander took a look at one of the casings handed to him and studied it.  "These are from an MP5." He muttered as he looked at the firing pin markings on the bottom of the shell.  "Only the Mossad, the SAS, and US special forces used these with this kind of precision." He added.  A total of forty-seven casings were found, indicating that whoever had fired on the men was a deadly shot.  Nibbling at his lip, the commander called into his headquarters to report the findings.

"So you think that possibly those thugs the Baroness sent, gave away our location after all?" Edgewood asked.

"Yes sir.  Whoever was here was good.  To good to be some radical local with a vendetta."

Edgewood's eyes narrowed before making his next statement.  "I want an immediate evacuation of all positions in the country!  That woman must have found out where we were and sent a recon patrol to snoop around."  

The orders were sent immediately to all positions scattered around the vast continent to evacuate.  "We'll regroup in one week at position Juliet Foxtrot." Edgewood added as he too prepared to depart immediately.

A week had passed since the assault on the supply depot.  In the far north of the East Australian peninsula, Skymate and Torpedo had found the remnants of an abandoned base.  Dingo had come along with the two and after talking to several of the locals in the area, confirmed that the Weipa base had only recently been evacuated.  

"Bloody hell! They found the depot and cleared out!" Skymate cursed.  Dingo had also found out that reports were coming in from tribes all over the Outback, saying that any base that Edgewood's men had occupied had been abandoned as well.  

"Apparently they were headquartered in Kakadu." Dingo said as he translated one man's account of recent events.  

"Kakadu?" Torpedo asked.

"National park near Darwin on the west coast.  Huge bloody place too." Dingo explained.

"It's about the size of Yosemite." Skymate added.  "Any idea then why they were in Weipa?" He asked Dingo.

"Eastern headquarters." The man replied.  "Kakadu was the main base." 

"So dey wen clear out of da whole country?" Torpedo asked.  

"Yeah."

Torpedo's shoulders slumped.  "Dey could be anywhere den."  He groaned.  "We back at square one again." 

Skymate shook his head and sighed.  "And judging by how clean this place is, I reckon they didn't leave anything behind at Kakadu that would give us a clue as to where they pissed off to." 

Dingo eyed the two as they despaired over the new findings.  To him, the fact that the remaining COBRA forces had abandoned his home was a blessing.  "Dan?"

"Yeah."

"The Mabo-jajara is free." Dingo smirked.  "That has to mean something, doesn't it?" 

Skymate sniffed.  "You have a point there mate." He smiled.  "You do have a point."   

Torpedo caught the wistful tone in his friend's voice and turned to leave him alone with his thoughts.  The Polynesian walked towards the shore and scanned the darkening horizon for a cluster of stars he'd known since childhood.  After a few minutes he did find them and he reached up to his neck for the lava stone hanging there.   "Ho'okahi la Hawai'i 'oe mana'o e ku'oko'a."

After a recon of Kakadu just to be safe, Torpedo and Skymate had decided there was nothing left of the remaining forces in Australia.  So they went back to Washington DC to start their search all over again.

Back in DC, the Baroness steamed as she took in the information the recon provided.  "At least we know who is in charge." She sated as she went over the report Skymate had handed her.  "You did what you could, and at least one continent is truly free now." She added at the disappointed faces of Torpedo and Skymate.

"Yeah, one down, who knows how many to go." Torpedo muttered.  

"The resistance movement started before the initial COBRA attack and look how long that took to be successful?" The Baroness stated.  Neither man was cheered by her words.  "For now, we'll concentrate on regaining the stolen supplies." She proclaimed.  "They will resurface and this time we'll be ready for them." 

"I hope so." Skymate growled.

"Have faith." She offered with a smile.  

Later in her quarters, the Baroness sat on the couch and went over the latest reports on the rebuilding efforts taking place all over the globe.  Steeler entered after a while and saw the look on her face.  "What's wrong?"

She looked up when she heard his voice and offered a half smile.  "Good and bad." She replied.  "The bad is they got away in Australia."

"And the good?" Steeler asked.

"They got completely away.  Australia is now apparently free of any remaining COBRA forces."

"Oh goody.  Remind me to pack my bags for a vacation." Steeler snorted.  

The Baroness raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.  Ever since he'd been reminded of how long he'd been in this world she knew, he had been in a dark mood.  Steeler flopped down next to her and laid an arm behind her head.  She leaned on his shoulder and closed her eyes, just grateful for his presence.

Steeler noted that she had been awfully quiet of late and figured out why. "I've been a real ass of late, haven't I?"

"You said it, not me." She mumbled.

"I'm sorry."

The Baroness raised her head and looked him in the eye.  "I can't even begin to imagine what you must feel sometimes.  I also admit that your little mood swings are a pain." She added with a smirk.  "You've been tossed into an alien situation.  I suppose that would bother anyone to some extent." She offered.

"Yeah." Steeler muttered.  "I can also imagine the double takes I do sometimes in the middle of the night must be a riot to see." He grinned.  "I never thought I'd find myself waking up next to you." He admitted.

"Well from what you have told me, I can see that." She said as she laid her head back on his shoulder.  "I suppose I'll have to set up a camera in the room then." She added with a chuckle.

"No way!  God only knows I don't want any of that on film!" He blurted.

TBC…

~~~

Translation time!  

Mabo-jajara = A very rough translation of 'homeland' in Yirrkala, the predominate tribe in northeastern Australia.

Ho'okahi la Hawai'i 'oe mana'o e ku'oko'a. = One day Hawai'i, you will be free.   (yes I do speak this and can pronounce that rather easily.)


	6. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes: Just moving right along here. Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

Stalker crept down the dark tunnel leading towards the main storage area of Mt. Graham.  Tripwire had come along to help defuse any traps that COBRA might have left behind.  And at Tripwire's request, Chaz had joined them as well.  The ranger's keen eyes spotted yet another trap and he motioned for Tripwire to come forward and take it out.  Chaz held his breath as Tripwire followed the lead to the main switch of the bomb and defused it.

Stalker saw Chaz's apprehension and laughed.  "I don't know what you were told, but Tripwire is really cool under pressure when it comes to things that go 'boom'." 

Chaz cracked an eye open and scanned the bomb that his friend had just defused.  "I bloody hope so." He muttered as he again followed the other two deeper into the cave.

"Ooo." Tripwire purred when he saw the next trap.

"What are you 'Oooing' about?" Stalker asked.

Tripwire ignored Stalker as he scanned the far wall for the access panel that would defuse the latest trap.  "Chaz?  Wanna slink over the floor there and dig around the third panel?" He asked.  Chaz stepped forward and lit a cigarette.  Exhaling, the trio saw the smoke light up a brilliant red.

"Motion sensors?"

"Yup." Tripwire counted the few wires he could see and heaved a sigh of relief.  "And just motion sensors.  No pressure sensors." 

"You sure?" Chaz asked as he laid on the floor and began slinking forward under the lasers.

"You'd have set them off by now." Tripwire smirked as the youth slowly made his way forward.

Stalker winced when he saw some of the gymnastics Chaz used to get towards the far wall.  "Damn that had to hurt." He mumbled when he saw a particularly extreme contortion.

Chaz got to the far wall and stood up.  Opening the third panel he found the wires that controlled the trap.  "Okay.  There's four of them, which one do I cut first?" He called out.

"What colours are they?" Tripwire asked.

"From left to right, they're grey, blue, green, and white." Chaz replied.

"Green, white, blue and then grey." 

Chaz cut the wires in the order Tripwire had called out and the lasers disappeared.  Tripwire and Stalker joined Chaz and Tripwire began digging around the first panel.  After he finished tinkering with it he opened the second one.  "Okay this should open the door." He said as he fiddled with the components inside.

"What door?" Chaz asked.  Just then the rock began to slide off to their left and revealed their prize.

The trio stared slack jawed for a moment before Stalker reached for his radio to call in for back up.  "This is recon one, move em in." He ordered as they made their way into the large room.

"Jesus fuck." Chaz cursed when he saw the mountains of stolen medicines and other necessities.  

"At least now we know where they hid it all." Stalker chimed in.

"This is only a small portion of what is supposedly available." Tripwire added.  "There is a whole hell of a lot more stashed all over the place." 

"You're kidding?"

"No." Tripwire confirmed.  "Sea and Blaine found out that there is an even bigger stash in Mexico.  Then there's the caches in Europe and China."  He added.  "This haul will at least help replenish supplies for the moment though."

A small convoy of trucks moved down the wide access tunnel slowly.  Clutch got out of the lead one and stared at the piles of supplies neatly stacked in the massive cave.  As Clutch called out the orders to start loading up, Chaz and Tripwire walked further into the cave.  Tripwire spotted a pile of a dozen crates hidden towards the back of the cave and called Chaz over.  With the youth's help, the two pried the top off of one of the large wooden boxes.

"What the…?" Tripwire muttered when he saw the box full of black bricks.  Chaz took a closer look and could swear he smelled honey.

"Wax?"

Tripwire scraped at the black stuff and sure enough it was bee's wax, dyed black.  Once Chaz was sure the substance was safe to touch he reached in to retrieve one of the bricks.  Only it didn't want to come out of its crate so easily.  "Shite Tor, this thing weighs a tonne."  

Tripwire raised an eyebrow and scratched at the wax a little more to reveal what was underneath. "You're from the Witwatersrand area in South Africa.  What is yellow, very heavy, and worth a fortune?" Tripwire smirked.

Chaz smirked as well as he put his full weight into pulling the brick out.  "I'd say about a million dollars US, of gold per brick?" He retorted.

"Bingo."

"Let's drop this lot and head back to Vegas." Chaz laughed as he set the gold bar down on the edge of the crate.  Tripwire playfully slapped the youth and called in their find to Stalker.

"You found what?" Stalker repeated over the radio.  

"Twelve crates of poorly disguised gold bars.  I'd say each one is about eighty pounds a piece."  Tripwire replied.

Chaz was looking into the crate they'd opened and could just see the bottom of it.  From the light that was available, Chaz figured that each crate contained roughly a hundred bars of gold, if the others were as full as they one they'd discovered.

"What's that heavy, the crates or the bars?"

"The bars…all twelve hundred of them." Tripwire groaned.

"Just checking." Stalker laughed.  

Tripwire and Chaz could hear Stalker barking orders to Clutch to take a forklift over to the two and their find.  Clutch pulled up a short while later and stepped down from the forklift.  "Damn!  I say we take a few of these and hit Vegas!" He laughed.

"See!" Chaz grinned at Tripwire before ducking another swat.  It took Clutch almost an hour to load the gold onto three different transports.  After securing the gold, Stalker led a small, armed convoy to an airfield an hour away to fly the gold back to Washington.  Another plane was loaded with some of the supplies they had recovered, and the area was secured to protect the remaining horde.

At the bunker where they had staged the overthrow from, they unloaded their cargo.  The Baroness removed the wax from one of the gold bars and discovered that it was part of the supply taken from New York.

"The Federal reserve?"  Stalker asked.

"According to the marks, yes." She replied.  "So some of these may well be from other countries." She added.

In another part of the main hangar, a truck pulled up and Sci-Fi got out.  "Hey Babe, Kiddo.  So what'd ya bring me?" He smiled as he greeted Tripwire and Chaz.

"Drugs and money." Chaz replied.

"Aww, how'd you know I always wanted to be the head of a major cartel?" He teased back.

Tripwire was removing his helmet while the other two joked back and forth.  After putting his glasses back on he shook his head.  "The only reason you want to head a cartel is for the hordes of sex slaves." Tripwire retorted.

Sci-Fi shrugged. "Hey.  Everyone needs a dream Babe." 

Chaz laughed at the joke and reached to Sci-Fi's shoulder.  "Just think fuzz ball." He said as he took Diz into his hand.  "You'd have a gold cage and all the babes you could possibly want."  Diz skittered up Chaz's arm and jumped over to Tripwire who was behind the youth.

"No.  He'd use his cut to corner the towel industry." Tripwire joked as he scratched Diz's head.

Sci-Fi laughed before facing the two in all seriousness.  "Okay, besides realising my wildest fantasies, I have good news."

"Oh?"

"We narrowed down, where in Mexico, they had their other North American stash."  

"Where?" Tripwire asked.

"About an hour out of Ciudad Juarez. Right across from El Paso Texas."  Sci-Fi drawled.

Tripwire winced when he realised where their next stop would be.  "I hate those things." He muttered.

"Huh?" Chaz and Sci-Fi both asked.

"Those pint sized annoying as hell little yap dogs."

Chaz was still confused but Sci-Fi knew what Tripwire was talking about and laughed.  "I doubt that the place would be guarded by armies of Chihuahuas, Babe."

"Knowing my luck it will be." Tripwire muttered.

"Okay, now I'm really confused." Chaz spoke up.

"Ciudad Juarez is in the state of Chihuahua, home to the little dogs of the same name." Sci-Fi explained. 

"So what does that have to do with Tor hating them?" Chaz asked.

"I had an aunt that used to breed the damn things.  Every time we went to her house I would get nipped to hell by them." Tripwire explained.  "And I made a point to deliberately avoid the little bastards too." He added.

Chaz couldn't help it, he had to sit down he was laughing so hard.  "You mean to tell me, you would rather face a tonne of highly unstable explosives, rather then a little dog, no bigger the Diz there?" He asked, pointing to the squirrel on Tripwire's shoulder.

"I'd rather face ten tons of explosives, then one Chihuahua." Tripwire stated.  Chaz fell on his back and began screaming in laughter.  "Keep it up Kiddo and I'll see to it that you'll be sleeping outside." Tripwire threatened.  "That goes for you too." He added to Sci-Fi who was biting his lips to keep from bursting out in laughter.

Tripwire knew that the two would be useless for a while so he rolled his eyes and turned to leave.  Diz looked up at him and then back to Chaz and Sci-Fi before deciding he'd rather stay with Tripwire, as the man left the hangar.  After his lover left, Sci-Fi joined Chaz on the floor and began howling in laughter as well.

Later that evening, the Baroness shut the light off on her desk and left the office for her quarters.  She had spent the last few days cataloguing the supplies and gold found in Arizona and getting them ready for distribution.  Some of the gold was indeed from international banks and those countries that had established interim governments were pleased to hear that their national treasure was on it's way back to them.  For the countries still struggling to start up governments, or those that were relying on others for leadership, the gold would be distributed equally, or held until a solution could be resolved to ensure that it would go to good use. 

She had a small army based at Mt. Graham to help with the distribution of the other supplies found there as well.  Flights were heading all over the globe carrying their priceless cargoes to those in need of them.  Once the exact location of the Mexican horde was discovered, more vital supplies would flood the world markets and help those that so desperately needed them.  Based on inventory reports, the Baroness figured they had about another month's worth of supplies left in the massive cave in the Arizona desert.  They needed to find the rest of it and soon.

Then there was the other problem she had.  After fleeing Australia, Edgewood's men had gone to ground.  No one could find any report of activity that would disclose the rebel's position.  She almost hoped that Edgewood would try and hijack any number of the relief flights for a hint, but the rebel leader wasn't that stupid.  

As she entered her quarters, she didn't see Steeler anywhere.  He would have been back by now, she thought as she made her way to the bedroom.  Before she entered, she heard him.  He was talking to someone softly and after listening for a moment, she recognized the story as an old Polish fable…in Polish no less.  The door was open ajar and she peeked in.  Her heart nearly exploded when she saw Steeler on the bed, holding the newborn Wyatt in his arms as he told the infant the story.  After recalling the story in her head, she waited for him to finish before entering the room.

"Somehow I doubt he understood a word of that." She smiled as she came in.  

Steeler chuckled before replying. "Doesn't matter…the kid doesn't understand English as is."  He craned his face up to hers to receive the kiss she wanted to give him before looking back at Wyatt.  "Anyway.  I always get lost when I recite it in English.  My Baba would always tell me that story in Polish."

Wyatt made a little noise and the couple looked down at him.  "Yer aunty Anna's here, wanna say hi?" Steeler cooed before handing the infant over to the Baroness.  She cradled him in her arms as she gently swung back and forth.  "I figured his folks could use a break so I volunteered to baby sit.  You don't mind do ya?" Steeler added.

"Of course not Darling." She replied.  "How did you become so good with children?" She asked as an after thought.

"I have a ton of younger nieces, nephews, cousins and siblings.  Trust me you get a lot of practice, whether you want it or not." He laughed.

The Baroness smiled as she sat down next to Steeler and leaned against him.  She wasn't about to hand Wyatt back just yet, so Steeler settled with just holding the pair of them.  "I wonder what your parents are doing right now?" She cooed at Wyatt.

Steeler snorted. "Probably snoring their heads off."

TBC…

~~~

By the way, for all you animal lovers reading this?  I actually LIKE Chihuahuas, if I ever got one I'd name it Ren. ^^


	7. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes:  A little background on Chaz and some fun for the 'terrible twosome' fans. Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

Blah Denotes spoken Arabic.

And The Struggle Continues.

 It was late in the evening.  Short Fuse was hanging out in the apartment occupied by Sci-Fi, Tripwire, and Chaz and talking.  They'd shifted from business to social in their conversations and Short Fuse was now finding himself having to explain a few things to Chaz.

"Why do you call him monk, Eric?" Chaz had asked, jerking a thumb at Tripwire.

"You didn't tell him?" Eric asked the other two.

Tripwire laughed.  "Nope.  I guess now is as good a time as any." And with that Tripwire explained to Chaz how he'd dropped out of high school in Japan to join a Buddhist monastery.

"One of my best friends is a clergyman?" Chaz asked in horror.  "Tor I'm appalled!"

"Not Quite." Tor replied.  "I didn't stay long enough to take my vows."

"Thank God." Sci-Fi muttered under his breath.

"Let me guess?  One of those vows was about celibacy?" Chaz smirked.  Tor laughed as Sci-Fi groaned and complained about the injustice.

"It would have been the first one I took." Tor explained.  "Sea can handle the other ones I tend to live by, just not that one."

"Well no! It would mean I would have to go somewhere else for sodomy purposes!" Sea exclaimed.  "You have any idea what a pain in the ass that is?" 

"Pun intended or not?" Tor grinned.

Eric held his hands up in surrender. "Thank you!  There's only so much I can handle about your love fest folks."

"Prude." Sea poked his tongue out at Eric.  Chaz was laying on the floor howling in laughter at the exchange.

"You'd better change the subject or he'll really get going." Chaz laughed as he pointed his toe in Sea's direction.

"Good idea." Eric agreed.  "So what's a kid from South Africa doing in the States?" 

"My Dad sent me to school here, right before the take-over." Chaz began.  "Initially it was to be for one year as an exchange student, but things got a little out of hand and I ended up stranded here."

"Did you try to find a way home?" Eric asked.

"Several times, but something would always come up and I'd loose the chance."  Chaz sat up as he continued.  "I ran out of money and ended up on the streets in Frisky.  That's when I met Tor and Sea."

"Yeah this skinny blonde kid came up to us one day to bum a smoke.  We've been stuck with him ever since." Sea laughed.

"Hey!" Chaz protested.  "I've earned my keep!"

"And trust me, we're eternally grateful too." Tor added.  "Chaz became our right hand in the filching business." He explained to Eric.

"It put a roof over my head and nicotine and caffeine in my bloodstream." Chaz shrugged.

"Wait a sec." Eric began.  "This is the kid Courtney and Robbie were talking about right?  The one who got that stuff out of the club that night?"

"Bingo." Sea chirped.  "He also kept an eye on our place along with Angel when we shipped out here last year." He added.  

"Oh that must have been a riot waiting to happen." Eric laughed.  "Judging by how you two went at it when I was there last week." 

Chaz smiled.  "Nah Angel's a sweetheart.  It's her mad designs to 'de-scruff' me that have us teasing each other."  He added.  "At first, Angel was leery of me because of where I'm from, and the fact that I am white.  I don't know how Apartheid was presented here, but Angel figured that being Asian meant that I would be an arse to her." 

"I can see that.  Lonzo did the same thing." Eric said.

"Lonzo?"

"Stalker." Sea explained.

"Oh! Okay." Chaz said.  "You lot and your code names screw me up sometimes." 

Sea laughed.

"You're lucky if you can recall last week." Tor added, poking Chaz with his toe.

Chaz flipped him off before continuing his story.  "Anyway.  After I got it through her head that 'no I have no problems with you because you aren't white', we got along famously.  That's when the make-over idea took over." Chaz snorted.  "I am usually referred to as the 'unkept Boer' when it comes to her.  She never got the hint that it was all a ruse." He laughed.

"Oh she did too!" Sea blurted.  "Its just Angel, being Angel, that's all."

Eric laughed then sobered up as he thought of something else.  "Now that it's possible, have you ever thought of heading back home?" He asked Chaz.

Chaz bit his lip as he pondered the question.  "Things were bad enough when I left South Africa, I can't even begin to imagine what they must be like now.  Yeah I have thought about it, but I don't even know if there's a home to go to." He replied after a moment.  "That's why I stuck around to help out Tor and Sea.  After it's well and truly over, then I'll go home.  If anything to help clean up the messes both COBRA and the former government made."

"The offer of us tagging along still stands Kiddo." Tor offered.

Chaz smiled.  "I wouldn't have it any other way.  You and Sea took me in and made me family." Chaz fought the urge to choke up a bit as he continued.  "You didn't have to help me, but you did. I'm forever indebted to you for that." 

"Oh believe me.  You've more then paid that debt off, just by helping us." Tor added.

"Yeah sure." Chaz retorted as he lay back on the floor and propped his feet on the couch next to the couple.  "I still have to work off the food bill." He chuckled.

"He has a point Babe." Sea piped up.  "I've never seen anyone pack away the chow like you do Kid." 

Eric laughed.  "Major chow hound huh?" 

"Oh my God!" Sea groaned.  "And I thought I could pack away the food.  I'm a non starter compared to Chaz!" 

Tor glanced to his side.  "I wouldn't be so sure.  They stopped letting you in at Mike's after a while." 

"Oh shit! I remember that!" Eric howled.  "The only person I know who has been asked to leave an all you can eat place!"

Sea raised an eyebrow at Eric.  "You ate in the same mess hall as me.  Tell me you wouldn't take advantage of real food when you had the chance?" He defended.

"Yeah but not like that!" Eric laughed.

"Whatever." Sea rolled his eyes.  "What are doing up Dizzy?" He said when he saw his pet amble into the room.  Diz hopped up onto Chaz's chest and made his way to Sea.  "I know we didn't wake you up with the racket." Sea said as Diz climbed up to his shoulder before curling up and going back to sleep. 

"He wants his Mummy." Chaz teased from the floor.

"Dude! Shut up." Sea glared at Chaz.

In another apartment, Imani sat curled on the couch next to Cover Girl.  Dusty and Clutch had opted for the other side of the seating area to be safe.

"So what do you think of Gladys?" Cover Girl asked Imani.

Imani smiled warmly at the question.  "I adore her!  She's been so kind to me and made me feel welcome.  I admit I was a bit nervous at the idea of meeting her."

"Mom fell in love with her in two seconds flat." Dusty added.

"Yes she did." Imani agreed.  "She was also nice enough to show me that you weren't always tall and skinny." Imani smirked.  Dusty leaned his head back and cursed at the ceiling.

"Oh?" Cover Girl asked.

"She had pictures of him when he was a baby." Imani smirked.  

"Oh that's cold!" Cover Girl laughed.  "Was he cute?"

"Adorable.  And FAT!" Imani laughed.  The two women howled in laughter while Clutch leaned over and lay an understanding hand on his friend's shoulder.

"By the way you." Dusty began, directing his gaze at Cover Girl.

"Uh-oh." 

"What the hell did you teach her?" He asked, referring to Imani.

"Why?" Cover Girl grinned.

"Now I ain't exactly complaining, but we went looking for new wardrobes and she went to town!"

"So?" Cover Girl and Imani chimed in.  

"Since when did you start worrying about what I do?" Imani asked.  "I am trying to look like an American after all…at least as much as I can." She added.

"I know Love.  It's just you got real good at it real fast."

"She had a good teacher."  Cover Girl smirked, thumping her fist on her chest.  "Besides?  Why do you care?"

Dusty shook his head.  "Let's just say I get a little worried when I see younger men eyeing up MY wife!" 

Clutch fought the effort to laugh out loud at the looks Dusty got from the two women.  Imani cocked an eyebrow at him while Cover Girl gave him her best disapproving look.

Imani cleared her throat and Cover Girl laughed.  Clutch winced as he waited for the berating the tiny Arabian was about to give her husband.  "Firstly, they're stupid." She stated holding up her hand to show off her wedding band.  "If they can't see that, to bad.  Secondly…" She began.  "Any of them DO try something and I'll kill them.  Simple as that.  And lastly, most likely none of them speak Arabic, so you are quite safe." She finished.

Dusty held his tongue for a moment.  He knew she wasn't done deflating his ego so he just waited for it.  He didn't have to wait long.

"Is there anything else? Or did you get all of the male posturing out of your system?" Imani smiled sweetly at Dusty.  Cover Girl was sliding out of her seat, she was laughing so hard.

"Okay truce.  You win, I'm an idiot." Dusty held his hands up in surrender.

"Yes."  Imani chirped.  

"Can we change the subject before I dig my grave any deeper?" Dusty begged.

Clutch looked at his watch.  "Actually, Court and me have a job in the morning and it's getting late." He stated.

Cover Girl glanced at the clock and winced.  "Uhg.  Plane maintenance.  My favourite." She groaned.  

They all rose and headed towards the door.  "Why don't we return the favour later this week and invite you over for dinner?" Cover Girl suggested as she and Clutch got ready to leave.

"Sounds great." Dusty smiled.  The group bid each other good night and Cover Girl and Clutch headed back to their apartment.

After closing the door behind their guests, Imani turned to watch Dusty pick up from the evening.  She nibbled her lip a little and came up behind him.  You are honestly worried about what other men think of me? She asked.

Sometimes. Dusty replied.  I still see the young girl ready to knock my head off with a two by four…  Imani waited for him to finish as he thought of how to word his feelings.  It's just that I forget that you can take care of yourself.  That and I admit I worry sometimes.  You've changed since we first met.

Imani cuddled up against him and he held her tight.  If it means anything at all. Imani began.  My father always said that I would make a terrible Muslim wife.  I'm to free willed.

That helps. Dusty muttered.

Imani shook her head and continued.  What I mean is, you let me be myself.  I am very grateful for that. She said, craning her face up to look Dusty in the eye.  She noticed he wasn't convinced.  All they see is a prize. She began.  You see the personality as well and accept it…or should I say tolerate it? Dusty chuckled at the comment.  And like I said earlier. Imani added.  They're too stupid for me anyway. Not to mention ugly.  And probably worthless in battle. 

Okay.  I get the point. Dusty laughed.  He lifted her off the ground and brought her closer to him.  

Imani kissed the tip of his nose and smiled.  We have to get some sleep too.  We have weapons practice in the morning. She reminded him.  She yelped suddenly when Dusty heaved her over his shoulder and carried off to their room.

You soul-less dog! She bellowed as she pummelled his back with her tiny fists.

Dusty laughed as she continued to berate him and pound on him.  That's what I like about you. Pint sized for easy carrying purposes. 

TBC…


	8. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes:  Points for guessing what Sci-Fi's referring to in this, when he first shows up in this chapter.  Well points and my deepest of respects for a fellow perve. ^^ Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

(Blah) Denotes spoken Russian.

Blah Denotes spoken Arabic.

And The Struggle Continues.

Dailtone sat at the communications consol bored out of his mind.  He'd found a frequency used by the remaining COBRA forces once, by freak accident and had not been able to find it since.  He sat there scanning the airwaves again as he had for the last month and nothing.  Breaker was going to be relieving him in an hour and to be honest Dialtone couldn't wait.  That's when he heard it.

"Edgewood here."  Dialtone sat bolt upright and began tracing the signal.  It was the first hit he'd had in a month and he didn't want to loose it.  He tried to pick up the other side of the conversation but the static was too strong.  All he got was the occasional word or two, so he focused instead on Edgewood's signal, which was coming in loud and clear on twenty-eight metres.

"Good.  I'll set up the planning meeting for tomorrow morning then." Edgewood purred over the receiver.  Dialtone was typing furiously to trace the signal before the new head of COBRA signed off.  "Alright then Charlie India Foxtrot.  This is Charlie Echo Delta signing off."  

"Gotcha." Dialtone grinned as the computer returned the signal trace information.  Turning off his consol, Dialtone slammed on the intercom switch.  "Attention Duke, Brekov, and Baroness.  This is Dialtone, come to the control room immediately!  I found them!"

Brekov was first followed shortly by the Baroness and Duke.  They crowded around the tech as he pulled up a map of western Mexico to show them the exact location of his trace.  "I heard Edgewood himself speaking and the trace came back as having originated here.  Near Guaymas on the Gulf of California."

"I want a strike force assembled immediately!" Duke ordered as Brekov began pulling up the duty roster.  

"Wait!" The Baroness called out.  "They're in Mexico, yes?"

"Da." Brekov replied.

"They may be making a run for the supply cache in Chihuahua?" The Baroness suggested.

"They would know where it is." Duke muttered.  "You might be right.  In which case we have to get to it first." Duke said aloud.  "Dialtone?  Get Tripwire and Sci-Fi up here on the double." He added.  Dialtone made the call as Duke looked to the other two commanders.  "They can help us with the details."

In the computer room where COBRA's old system was being decoded, Sci-Fi tapped his fingers on the desk waiting for a file on China to come up.   "I'll have the chu sum twat and a side of sum yung chik with that." He joked.  "OW!" Sci-Fi yelped when Tripwire swatted his bad shoulder.  "Hey I like women too y'know!" He defended.  "I believe the term in my case, is 'bisexual'?"

"T.M.I.!" Mainframe laughed before Sci-Fi could go off on one of his infamous ramblings.

"Up yours, ya …" Sci-Fi was cut off by Dialtone's hail. 

"Sci-Fi, Tripwire? Duke wants you in the control room ASAP."

"…Prude." Sci-Fi finished as he rose from his seat.  "I like that.  Discharged on disability and they're still after my ass." He muttered as he and Tripwire left.  

Tripwire chuckled as the two made their way to the control room.  "Hey at least they didn't discharge you because of MY ass." He offered.

"Probably because they know I'd go fucking nuts and blow something up if they did." Sci-Fi retorted.

"This is true." Tripwire agreed.  "You wanted to see us Duke?"

"Yes." Duke said when the two entered.  "Dialtone found Edgewood in Mexico. We think they might be making a run for the cache there and we need your input." 

"Where." Tripwire asked as he and Sci-Fi leaned over Dialtone's shoulder.

"Guaymas."

"Bless you." 

"Sci-Fi…" Dialtone groaned.  "Anyway.  The transmission was coming from there so the Baroness surmised they might be making a run for Ciudad Juarez and the cache." Dialtone explained.

Tripwire slipped into the chair next to Dialtone and pulled up a map of the area.  "Ignore the comedian, Jack.  He's on a roll today."  Tripwire explained as Sci-Fi poked his tongue out at the two seated before him.  "Okay…Guaymas, Guaymas? Where the hell is Guaymas on this thing?" Tripwire muttered.

Sci-Fi leaned over and pointed on the map where the town was.   "And the cache is here, an hour southeast of Ciudad Juarez." He added pointing to the spot on the map.

"It's roughly a thousand miles between the two." Tripwire muttered under his breath.

"Yeah and check out the terrain between the coast and the cache, Babe.  The Sierra Madre's are well over five thousand feet at their lowest points in some areas." Sci-Fi added as he studied the topographical map.  "If they're going by land it'll take them time." He added.

"It'd be like going from Great Falls to Boise on foot wouldn't it?" Dialtone asked.

"More like Seattle to Spokane." Sci-Fi replied.  "This trek is from the coast to the inland high plains."

"Well it shouldn't be to big a problem then should it?  For us I mean." Tripwire added.  "We just need to go to El Paso and then across the boarder and follow the river for a while."

"So what are we waiting for?" Dailtone asked.  "We know they're not using air transportation.  And like you said, over land it's a bit of a haul."  Duke joined the trio as they discussed the current situation.

Tripwire glanced over his shoulder at Duke.  "What is the political climate like in Mexico at the moment?" He asked.

Duke shook his head at the question before realising what Tripwire was trying to get at.  "Further south near the capitol things have cooled off, but near either boarder things are less stable." He said.  

"Guerrilla movement pretty rough up here then?" Sci-Fi asked, pointing at the map.

"At least as recently as the last two months, why?" Duke answered.

"It'll take Edgewood longer.  I say we get off our dead asses and get moving for Chihuahua." Sci-Fi suggested.  Tripwire made a small noise of disgust and Sci-Fi laughed.

"Shut up." Tripwire grumbled.

"Huh?" Duke and Dialtone asked.

"If I had to explain. I'll spend the next month sleeping on the floor." Sci-Fi chuckled.

Duke shook his head and ordered an emergency meeting in the auditorium.  Dialtone sent out the call to all available personal and in little less then half an hour they were assembled.  

"Alright people." Duke began.  "Dialtone found a transmission coming from the COBRA resistance and we think they're going to make a run for a supply cache in eastern Mexico.  Our objective is to get there first and stop them." He stated.

"Take no prisoners?" Low Light asked.

"We'll try for some prisoners for information." Brekov smirked.  "The rest are fair game." He added.

"Good." Low Light grinned.

The Baroness stepped forward to the podium then.  "We do not know what kind of surveillance they might have, so we will be taking ground transport south to our objective." She stated.  "I do not want to risk our cover being exposed by them observing a mass flight in their direction."

The Baroness had ordered a ready state of emergency in just such a situation since the over throw of Cobra Commander and his empire.  It took the Joe force little time to get assembled, armed and moving out on the road heading south for Texas and then into Mexico.

It was well after the middle of the night on the road.  The October Guard had all decided to ride together out of habit.  Brekov was sleeping in the back while Stormavik drove.  Diana was unable to sleep so she rode shotgun and talked with her fellow comrade.

(Five years ago, this would have seemed unthinkable.) Diana laughed as she checked the rear view mirror to see the trail of lights behind them.

Stormavik chuckled in the darkness.  (Da.  But then things changed.) He agreed.  (I have to admit though they are interesting to work with.) He added as an after thought.  

(Da.) Diana purred.  (Very interesting.) She smiled.

Stormavik glanced at his side and smirked.  (How is he doing?) He asked.

(My snowman is getting better.  He can walk some with the use of crutches.) Diana explained.  (He's just angry that he couldn't join us on this trip.)

Just then Frostbite's voice piped up over the secured link they had established between the main base and the convoy.  (I thought about it and decided I'm glad I can't join you.) He chuckled.

(Oh?) Stormavik asked.

(Yeah.) Frostbite replied.  (Mexico is hotter then three kinds of hell. I'll stick to cold and glaciated, thank you very much.) He laughed.

(How hot?) Stormavik asked.

(Cuba.  Only slightly less humid.) Frostbite replied.  Stormavik groaned at the response and Diana laughed.

(Look on the bright side, Vlad?) Diana began.  (They might not have rum but they have that tequila stuff you like.) She suggested.

(Hnn.  The good tequila is further south.) Stormavik groused.

(Is that all you guys think about is booze?) Frostbite asked.

Brekov had woken up and heard the last comment made.  (We judge our missions based on the local liquor available.) He mumbled.  (The better the local liquor, the better the mission.)  Frostbite laughed over the com-link at Brekov's statement.

Further up the convoy, Dusty was driving with Imani seated next to him.  They suggested I join Sea and be long-range look out. Imani said.

Duke's still worried that your arm isn't fully healed yet after that shot you took in the over throw. Dusty replied.  Besides, you have better long-range accuracy then most of the others.  

I don't mind his reasoning. Imani said.  I prefer it actually.  It gives me practice with my aim. She smirked in the dim cab.

Dusty laughed.  They could hear the conversation between Frostbite and the Guard over the com-link and Dusty grinned.

What do they find so funny I wonder. Imani said as she listened in.

I understood one word. 'Tequila'.  So I imagine they're talking about their favourite contact sport. Dusty replied.

Which is? 

Cut throat drinking. He laughed.  Tequila is a spirit distilled from a cactus down here. He explained.

Imani wrinkled her nose.  She never cared for the taste of alcohol, but she didn't begrudge those who did like it.  She gazed out of the window and saw the sky was brown.  Why does it look like that? she asked.

Dusty leaned forward to look out the window.  Means we might have some rough weather later.

TBC…


	9. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes:  Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

Blah Denotes spoken Arabic.

{Blah} Denotes spoken Spanish.

And The Struggle Continues.

They had just crossed the river into Mexico as dawn began to break.  On the horizon they could see a fierce storm ravaging the countryside and heading north of their position.  The look outs would head to the cache site first, followed by the other's when they gave the signal to move in.

Torpedo, who had slept most of the trip down, drove the smaller truck carrying himself, Stalker, Imani, Low Light and Sci-Fi.  Sci-fi rode shotgun so he could provide Torpedo with the exact coordinates of the cache.  "Okay, we're about a mile out now.  The stash is in that direction, and according to the computers it's underground.  So we should be able to spot if Edgewood and his cronies have show up yet." Sci-Fi stated as Torpedo pulled to a stop.

"This is your stop Stalker.  Make your way towards the bunker, but keep an eye out!" Sci-Fi ordered as the Ranger left the vehicle.  Low Light was the next to be dropped off, followed by Sci-Fi.  Torpedo and Imani would part ways at the next stop so she could watch the horizon for any signs of invasion and Torpedo could make his way to the cache.

The sun had risen over the high desert as Torpedo stopped the truck and he and Imani got out.  Imani was setting up her surveillance equipment when something caught her eye.  "So beautiful." She gasped.

Torpedo looked to where the storm was and saw what had entranced Imani.  "I told you dey were a sight for behold." Torpedo smiled at the petite woman.  "Vivid and beautiful and occasionally associated wit danger if dey are seen in a bad storm."

Imani watched the light dance around the colourful rainbow for a few more moments before returning to the task at hand.  "That's what your nickname for me means?" She asked as she watched Torpedo get ready to hike for the cache.

"Dat's it little anuinui." Torpedo said, tousling her bangs before taking off.

"Go safely." Imani muttered as she watched him leave.  I hate when he does that. She cursed in Arabic.  Reaching a hand up to straighten her hair out, she peered through her scope.  Where are you jackal? She muttered as she scanned the horizon.  

Imani listened in as Stalker, Low Light and Torpedo called in their findings to Sci-Fi.  "Okay cool.  Stalker, you should be within a half mile of the thing.  If you don't see a big hole in the hillside there, odds are they haven't reached it yet." Sci-Fi replied.

"Either that, or they're waiting for us to show up." Low Light added.

"Or that.  Thank you Mr. The glass is half empty." Stalker retorted.

Imani ignored the banter as she watched the horizon.  She saw a flash of brilliant light and blinked.  Focusing her gaze on the spot where she saw the flash, she willed for it to reappear.  It did.  "I see something about three miles out." She said.  "Coordinates one seven three, mark five." She added, reading the gauge on the scope. 

Sci-Fi turned his scope in the direction Imani had just repeated and tried to spot what she had seen.  "Got it!" He replied when he too saw a flash of light.  "Looks like a solo vehicle." He stated.  Sci-Fi looked behind him to where the sun still rose and figured he'd be able to make it out before Imani could see it clearly from her position.  "It's still to far out though to be sure." 

Imani watched the spot where the flash had occurred when it suddenly darkened around her.  Looking up she saw clouds move in front of the sun.  "Move!" she ordered them.  As if they had heard her, the clouds dispersed.  Imani had already trained her scope on the spot the flash was coming from.  The clouds moved out of the way completely and the flash returned, only much larger and brighter this time.

"Oh shit." Sci-Fi uttered.  "We have us a party folks!  Duke move in, there's several dozen vehicals heading this way.  Low Light, Stalker, Torpedo? Find cover and fast until the rest of the gang shows up!"  Sci-Fi ordered as he monitored the horizon.

"They aren't travelling in a single line, why?" Imani asked.  

"Hang on a sec there, Honey." Sci-Fi replied as the first vehicle came into clearer view.  "What the fu…?" Sci-Fi mumbled when he got a better look at the approaching horde.

"What is it Sci-Fi?" Duke asked as the main force moved in.

"They ain't COBRA.  At least they don't look like it."

"How many are there?" The Baroness asked as her group took its position on a nearby hill.

"It's hard to make out with the sunlight reflecting off their windshields, but I'd say three dozen at least." Sci-Fi replied.

"It could be a ruse." Duke suggested over the net.

"Or Cinco de Mayo." Sci-Fi laughed.  "They're most definitely not Edgewood and his thugs." He added as he got a clear view of passengers in the lead truck.  

"Explain." Duke ordered.

"I can make out the insignia of the Coahuila guerrillas on the side of the head vehicle now." Sci-Fi replied.

"You sure it's the Coahuila?" Tunnel Rat asked over the net.

"Positive.  I'd recognize it anywhere. We got them supplies a few times." Sci-Fi explained.

Tunnel Rat grinned and approached Duke.  "Wanna give me five minutes with them?"

"Why?"

"Who do you think taught them?" Tunnel Rat asked.  "I hooked up with them not long after the take over."  

Duke thought the idea over for a moment before conceding to Tunnel Rat's request.  "You have five minutes.  If anything goes wrong we move in full tilt, got it?" 

"Yeah." Tunnel Rat chirped as he took off down the hill towards the incoming horde.  

He watched as the lead vehicle came within range.  He grinned when he spotted the driver as the leader of the resistance group he'd joined up with after COBRA had taken over the world several years prior.  {How's it going man?} Tunnel Rat greeted as the truck stopped and the leader got out.

{What are you doing out here all by yourself?} The gnarled man asked as he swept Tunnel Rat up in a bear hug.

{I ain't alone.} Tunnel Rat grinned, jerking a thumb behind him to where the rest of the force was waiting.  {We came to find a supposed stash from the empire days in the area.} He explained.

{The medical supplies?} The guerrilla leader asked.

{You know of them?} 

{Of course.  The rumours are rampant down here!} The leader replied.  {We came to see if we could get them and first and get them to Mexico City.}

{For a profit.} Tunnel Rat laughed.

{No profit, you know that.} The leader replied gravely.  {No one has the money to afford anything now.} 

Just out of site of Tunnel Rat and the guerrillas, Zap listened in on the conversation and translated it for Duke.  "Tell him to ask if they've seen Edgewood." Duke told Zap.  Zap relayed the request to Tunnel Rat's earpiece and waited.

Tunnel Rat cocked his head for a second before turning to the leader.  {I don't know if you know this or not, but there are cells of COBRA resistance in the area, have you seen them?} He asked.

The leader leaned back on the hood of his old truck and howled in laughter.  {We've seen them.  That's why we came here to find their objective first.}

{Where?}

{We spotted them in Durango.  They scattered like rats but we managed to get a few of them and make them talk.}  The leader explained.  

Tunnel Rat smirked.  {Define, 'scattered', and 'a few'.} 

{Scattered.  As in they will take days to regroup, what's left of them. And a few as in thirty-eight.}  The leader replied sarcastically.

{How many of those thirty-eight are still breathing?} Tunnel Rat asked.

{None of them.  Why share the air we breath with them?} Tunnel Rat laughed at his friend's response. 

Tunnel Rat listened in again as another request came over his earpiece.  {Uh, 'El Gringo' says to say hi?} He repeated to the leader.

The leader stood upright from his leaning position and scanned the horizon.  {El Gringo?  He's here?}

{Yeah.}

The leader laughed.  {That maniac is still alive!  I figured COBRA would have caught him for all the stuff he stole from them!}  The leader scanned the surrounding hills for any sign of the force he knew to be there.  {Tell him to come down here so we can thank him properly for his weapons!} 

Tunnel Rat rolled his eyes as 'El Gringo' made another request over the net.  {Does it involve tequila?} 

{Tequila? HA!  We're talking a grand fiesta!}

Duke had heard enough to figure it was safe enough to expose his team.  "Tunnel Rat? Tell them we're coming out now."  Tunnel Rat relayed the information and the leader waved his hand.  

"No problem." The leader spoke in English.   "My men welcome fellow freedom fighters." He added before bellowing to the others gathered behind them that they were about to have a lot of company.  {No weapons or fighting!  They're friends!}

One of the men near the back jumped when the first of the group's new 'friends' appeared right next to him from the bushes.  Stalker held his hands out to show he meant no harm to them.  "Tunnel Rat?  Where'd you learn to speak Spanish?" He asked his teammate as he walked over to him.

"Ah all my old girlfriends back in New York were Puerto Ricans.  You pick it up real fast." Tunnel Rat waved off before introducing Stalker to the leader.

As the Joes joined the guerrillas on the flats, the leader scanned the crowd, trying to size them up and figure them out.  He watched as three men came forward.  The one dressed in black and silver stepped forward and held out his hand.  "Hola.  We're 'El Gringo'." Sci-Fi greeted the leader.

"Muchas gracias Señor!" The leader greeted.  He began babbling away in Spanish before Sci-Fi held his hands up.

"Whoa! I know a handful of Spanish at best.  And I don't have my translation program with me right now."  Sci-Fi explained.

The leader laughed.  "No problem amigo.  I am Juan, these are my men who you helped supply.  Thank you so much for helping us farmers fight for our lands." Juan repeated in English.

"I'm Sea, this is Tor and Chaz." Sci-Fi said, pointing to Tripwire and Chaz.  "Together we make up 'El Gringo'.  Or should it be El Gringos?" Sci-Fi laughed.  "It's good to finally meet face to face." He added.

"It is." Juan agreed.  "Now come.  We came for the same thing." He stated.

Duke stepped forward then.  "Hello Juan, I'm Duke.  The leader of this operation." Juan nodded at Duke and waited for him to continue.  "We came for the supplies hidden in the area to distribute to the rest of the world."

"As did we." Juan said.  "We wanted to get to them first before the COBRA's and get them to Mexico City.  The new council there would then decide what to do with them."

"So we have the same goal then?" Duke asked.

Juan narrowed his gaze at the much taller man.  "We are farmers fighting for the right to live.  Not mercenaries looking for profit."  Juan's eyes bulged when the Baroness stepped forward to greet him.  "You are the one! The lady who fought from within?"

"Yes." The Baroness replied.  "And I would welcome your help in our current mission." She warmly extended.  Juan accepted her hand as she held it out and kissed the back of it.

"We would be glad to help, Señora." He replied.

Later that evening the two groups had blended into one large force.  They had set up camp near the cave the cache was stored in.  The following morning they would begin breaking into it to get to the supplies hidden there and start dispersing them worldwide.  Juan and his guerrillas had made good on their promise of a fiesta and they celebrated long into the night.

TBC…


	10. And The Struggle Continues

And The Struggle Continues.

Author Chick's Notes:  Disclaimers are in chapter 1.

And The Struggle Continues.

The sun rose low over the mountains as Tripwire began the arduous task of breaking through the various traps set in the cave.  One of Juan's men, Julio had joined him.  Julio apparently was a whiz with electronics and was the main bunker breaker for the Coahuila group.  It had taken the two, three hours to penetrate into the cave to the supplies.  While Tripwire and Julio were breaking in, Duke had sent a small group of Joes with some of the Coahuila to search for any signs of Edgewood.  They took up positions all around the cache and watched for any sign of Edgewood and his men attempting to raid the cache for themselves.

Imani had been paired off with Juan's daughter, Mariana on lookout.  Mariana was about Imani's age and slightly taller then the young Arabian woman.  Fortunately for Imani, Mariana also spoke very good English.  They were talking to pass time while keeping watch.  "I thought women in your country wear a full veil?" Mariana asked, waving her hand around her face as she did.

Imani smiled.  Mariana talked with her hands as much as with her mouth.  "No. Not all women.  My father didn't insist on Mother or my sisters and I to wear them." Imani explained.  "If I were home now I would look pretty much like this…without the guns and ammo though." Imani smirked, tugging on the shawl around her hair.

"Oh." Mariana murmured.  

"There are some places though where I would have to wear a burka." Imani added.

"What's that?"

"The full length veil you've probably seen pictures of." Imani explained.  "Where only your eyes show?"

"Oh! Okay." Mariana said.  

"Did your father teach you how to fight?" She asked after a few moments.

Imani smiled wistfully.  "No.  My husband did.  Like you, I grew up a farmer." Imani said.  "My family was killed by COBRA while I was out tending to our crops one day.  I'm one of only three survivors from my village." 

"Oh Señora, I am so sorry." Mariana replied.

"There's no need." Imani offered with a smile.  "Their murderer was served with justice and my family is at peace now."

Back in the cave, Tripwire looked up when he heard Julio swearing.  "Hijos de punta!" The man cursed, waving his scorched hand frantically.  "These wires are definitely hot amigo." Julio added blowing on his fingertips.

Tripwire smiled in the dark cave.  "Hang on a second." He said as he cut some wires he was working on.  "Try it now?"

Julio tried cutting the wire that had just burned him.  This time it cut and the large lock on the door clicked.  "I hope it didn't just lock itself, amigo." He muttered.

"It better not have." Tripwire said as he got up to try the door.  Putting his full weight against it, it began to budge.  Julio added his weight to the door and it slowly began to open.  They got it open wide enough to pass through into the main part of the cave.  Inside were neatly stacked crates of medicines and foodstuffs, all organized and in order.  Tripwire inhaled deeply and Julio looked at him.

"What are you doing?" Julio asked puzzled.  

"Smelling for honey." Tripwire explained before getting on the COM and letting the other's know that they were through.

"Damn.  They stole that too?" Julio joked as he and Tripwire walked deeper into the cavern.

"Not quite." Tripwire said.  "They were using beeswax to hide something else at another site we found."

Both men turned when they heard a loud grinding sound at the doorway.  Steeler was using a forklift to open the door further.  He caught Tripwire's exasperated look.  "Wha?  Damn thing won't budge otherwise?"  Steeler said as he hopped down from the forklift.

Tripwire rolled his eyes and began investigating the stash.  Chaz and Sci-Fi found him and joined him as he looked around.  It didn't take long before Tripwire wished they'd go off somewhere else.  They were playing 'dictator' again.

"Viva El Presidente!" Chaz saluted Sci-Fi as they walked around.

Sci-Fi played along and began doing his best dictator impressions.  "Thank you thank you.  I want the drugs sent to my dealers.  The money sent to my bank accounts in Zurich.  And the women sent to my private palace in the Bahamas."

"Yes El Presidente!" Chaz got out before laughing.

"Children?" Tripwire muttered.  "You done yet?"

"No." Sci-Fi grinned.  "Hey! I missed out on the last haul, Babe." He defended when Tripwire glared at him.

"Yeah.  C'mon Tor, you know it's tradition." Chaz added.

"Screw Sutter's Mill!" Steeler bellowed suddenly from where he was.  "I found the moolah!" He added.  "And more then in Graham!"

Chaz was going to say something, but the look he got from Tripwire shut him up, almost.  Chaz started laughing instead.  A call came in over their radios suddenly from Low Light.  "They're here! Coming in fast from the south!"  

"Shit!" Tripwire! You guys stay in here and watch over the cache.  You're the last line of defence if any of them should get through!" Steeler ordered before taking off for the Mauler he had hidden nearby.

Tripwire nodded as he took up his position at the doorway.  Chaz slipped further into the entrance of the cave and hid himself from view.  He could just see the main entrance from his position and he had his gun trained on it.   Sci-Fi and Julio hid among the crates of supplies and trained their weapons on the doorway.

Outside, Steeler threw off the camouflaged tarp he had covering his Mauler and jumped up to the access portal.  Once inside he fired up the tank and began rolling it forward into position.  On the hill Imani and Mariana were located, the two women laid low until the first of Edgewood's men came into range.  They waited until the bulk of them passed then began picking off the stragglers with their long-range rifles.

Edgewood saw the last of the trucks in his convoy swerve suddenly then crash.  "They're here!" He yelled over his tactical net.  "Those guerrilla dogs must have gotten information out of their captives.  Divide up and hit them from all sides!" He ordered.

"They're splitting up!" Imani reported over the COM.  "They're going to try and surround us." She added.

"Copy." Brekov replied from the other side of the cache.  "Stay hidden as best you can little one.  Pick off only the ones left alone." He ordered Imani and Mariana.

"Steeler! Park that thing in front of the cache!" Duke ordered.  "I don't want anyone getting near that cave."

"Gotcha!" Steeler replied before moving to the front of the cave.

The Baroness could hear Juan shouting orders to the Coahuila in Spanish over the net.  One of Juan's men was on a hilltop that had a full three hundred and sixty degree view of the area.  The Baroness looked at Zap to see if he knew what they were saying when it became evident.  The Coahuila began charging en mass towards the south and east of the cache.

"They're hitting the bulk of Edgewood's group hard and fast!" Zap explained.

"Brekov! Give them support fire!" Duke ordered.  Brekov and the remaining October Guard charged right along with the Coahuila into battle.  "Gung Ho! Go with Brekov! The rest of you maintain positions."

Gung Ho led his small band to follow the Guard and the Coahuila in their attack of the raiding party.  Imani reported over the net from her position.  "There are two dozen troops making their way west."

"Can you handle them alone for a few minutes?" Duke asked.

"They're armoured.  We'll try and keep them though." Imani replied.

"Do what you can."

"Duke!" Cover Girl called out.  "I can get there fast." She said.

"Do it." Duke ordered.  Cover Girl took off for the hill Imani and Mariana were based to lend them the firepower of her Wolverine.

Cover Girl got to the hill and began firing at the troops Imani and Mariana had kept at bay.  "Have fun in Hell boys!" She stated, as bodies flew in all directions.  Imani glanced up at her friend and smirked.  "Wha? I can't let you have all the fun." Cover Girl said.

"You took your time." Imani teased.  Cover Girl poked her tongue out at Imani, while Mariana looked between the two and shrugged.  

On the other side of the cache the Coahuila were having a field day.  Gung Ho's group and the Guard were hard pressed to keep up with the guerrillas but they managed.  Torpedo spotted something in the mêlée and reported it.  "Some of dem are retreating!"  He cried out, pointing to a plume of dust.

"Not for long Hawaii!" Short Fuse grinned.  Taking out binoculars and a remote, Short Fuse watched the retreating group for a moment.  "C'mon you bastards…just a little bit further." He muttered.  "Gotcha ya stupid shits!" Short Fuse thumbed a switch on the remote and desert erupted in explosive fire.

"Que?" One of the Coahuila said when he saw the explosion.

"I got bored and laced the place with explosives last night." Short Fuse smirked at the man before returning to the fire fight.

Torpedo snorted and took aim at one of the vehicals heading towards him.  His shot got the front tire and caused the vehicle to get caught on the rocky terrain.

Inside the lead vehicle, Edgewood ordered his men to retreat and regroup.  "That woman and her dogs are with them!"  

Duke watched from his vantage point and ordered that at least a few of the stragglers be left alive for interrogation.  Once it was certain Edgewood and company had fled, Duke ordered everyone to stand down.  Inside the cave, Tripwire crept towards the entrance in search of Chaz.  Hacking on the diesel fumes, Tripwire found Chaz hunkered down where he'd taken up point.  "Steeler, move that thing out of here and let us get some air!" Tripwire called out over the COM.  Steeler did so and joined Tripwire with Chaz. 

"High as a kite?" He asked when he got a good look at the South African youth.

"Hullo Mummy!" Chaz said in a sing song voice.

"How'd you guess?" Tripwire smirked and took the youth by the underarms to hoist him up.  

Steeler chuckled and hoisted Chaz over his shoulder.  "I've got him.  Kid's gonna be real sick here in a second."  He said as he carried Chaz out of the cave into the fresh air.  Once outside, Chaz's head began clearing and he doubled over.  Steeler caught the look on Duke's face and rolled his eyes before defending Chaz.  "Kid got a lung-full of exhaust fumes.  He'll be fine in a bit."

"Hmm."  Duke muttered.  "Looks like he wasn't the only one." He added, jerking his thumb to the cave entrance.

"Oh, gravity works." Sci-Fi muttered as he flopped down to have a breather.  Tripwire ruffled his hair and took a seat on a nearby rock.  

"How's Chaz?" Tripwire asked, shaking his head to clear it.

"I feel like fucking shite." Chaz muttered before doubling over again to empty the contents of his stomach.

"Word dude." Sci-Fi concurred and lay back in the sand.  "Wake me when it's all over." He mumbled and began snoozing in the midday sun.

Lifeline had been called over to check on Chaz and after declaring that he'd be fine in a little while, he turned towards where Sci-Fi and tripwire were.  Glancing at the couple, then Chaz and then skyward, Lifeline shook his head and asked Tripwire to help him get the two into their tent.  "Let me guess?  He'll regret his nap in the sun later?"  Tripwire asked as he gently woke Sci-Fi.

"Oh yeah." Lifeline agreed.

"I've got the kid, you check on that other guy." Steeler said as he let Chaz lean heavily against him.

Lifeline went to check on Julio and figured that the man was alright for the most part.  "I say give it a few hours to clear out before we begin exploring again." He advised Duke about the cave.

Around dusk, Chaz awoke to a splitting headache and groaned.  "What the fuck is that racket?"  He cursed, not knowing he wasn't alone.

"Mariachi." Sci-Fi muttered from nearby.

"Merry what?"

"Mariachi.  Local music thingy." Sci-Fi explained.  "Popular during festivals and stuff."

"Does it have to be so bloody loud?" 

"That's the point." Sci-Fi grinned.  With a groan he sat up just as Chaz flopped back down to cover his head.  "I'll take it you wanna be left alone?" He asked.  Sci-Fi got a middle finger for a response and rose out of his cot.  

Tossing on shorts and a t-shirt, he went outside to see that Coahuila were having a repeat performance of the night before.  He ambled around until he found Tripwire talking with Juan near one of the many campfires.  "Hola." He greeted and took a seat next to Tripwire.  

"How do you feel?" Tripwire asked as he leaned against Sci-Fi's shoulder.

"Fabulous!"  He grinned. "Chaz is hating life though right now." He added.  

Juan cocked an eyebrow at the two as they chatted away.  "There's my little deaf as a post fuzzy." Sci-Fi cooed, spotting Diz's tail and picking him up.

"You did remember to bring enough squirrel chow right?" Tripwire asked, raising his eyes to look at Sci-Fi.

"Yup.  Why?" 

"He's eaten about half his weight in seeds in the last hour." Tripwire said.

"He been in the booze?"

"Nope."

"Cool.  He'll regret that one for sure, Babe." 

"Uh, excuse me?" Juan stuttered.  "Que?" Pointing to the two.

"Squirrel." Sci-Fi said, holding up Diz.

"I know what that is." Juan said.  "You two?" He added sounding slightly confused.

"Oh." Sci-Fi said.  "Uh..." Taking a quick glance at his shoulder and Tripwire, he returned his gaze to Juan and began explaining.

"Ah, si!" Juan said, clapping his hands together.  "Now all the loco things I have been hearing from you two makes sense!"

"Yeah, they shag each other senseless every once in a while." Chaz growled from behind the couple.  "I'm starving."  He added, taking out a cigarette and lighting it before joining them near the fire.

"Mariana!" Juan bellowed for his daughter.  She looked over and saw Sci-Fi and Chaz and brought over two plates full of food.  "Gracias Mija." Juan thanked her as she returned to where she had been talking with Imani.

"How's the head?" Tripwire asked as Chaz dug in.

"Fine." Came the terse response as he devoured his dinner.

Sci-Fi glanced over at him and grinned.  "He'll be more sociable when he's fed." He explained to Juan, jerking a thumb at Chaz.  Chaz growled at Sci-Fi and tried to kick at his foot.

TBC...


End file.
